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The magic continues. The wizardry of new concepts, colorful
new realism. And new profit opportunities. Pinball and video
magic you've seen, and some you haven't seen. Games that
are pre-tested for high earnings potential and games that
include our exclusive self-test procedures. Take a front row
seat. See our Magic Show at: AMOA, October 28, 29, 30, at
the Conrad Hilton, Chicago, IL, in the West Room, Booths 16-23
and 26-33... and at IAAPA, November 19, 20, 21, at the
Rivergate Exhibition Center, New Orleans, LA.

ATARI

Fivitee-1 ait
leisure

A Wamer Communications Company

PLAY MEFER
Volume 3/ No. 21

November 1977

November1977,| PLAY METER

Staff @#eeoeeoeeoeeeeeee eee @ @

Publisher and Editor:
Ralph C. Lally Il
Managing Editor:
David Pierson
International Editor:
David Snook
Editor, Coin S/ot
. Technical Editor:
Robin Minnear
Game Doctors
Correspondents:
Roger C. Sharpe
Dick Welu
Mary Claire Blakeman
Susan Brenna
J.W. Sedlak
Randy Fromm
Art Direction:
Meyer Alewitz
Staff Cartoonist:
Norm Rockwell
Typography:
Skybird Typography
Circulation Manager:
Debbie Barnes
Advertising Representative:
Ralph C. Lally Il
European Representative:
Esmay Leslie

Coin Industry PLAY METER, No-
vember, 1977. Volume 3, No. 21.
Copyright 1977 by Skybird Publishing
Company. Full editions of Coin
Industry Play Meter are published
monthly, the first Friday of the
month. The Update news edition is
published monthly, the third Friday of
the month. Publishing offices: 4136
Washington Ave., P.O. Box 24170,
New Orleans, La. 70184. Tel. 504/
827-0320. Subscription rates: U.S.
and Canada—$25; Europe and Ja-
pan—$45; elsewhere—$50. One or-
der multiple subscription: 2-9, $20
each; 10-24, $17 each; 25 or more,
$15 each. Advertising rates available
on request. No part of this magazine
may be reproduced without express
permission. The editors are not
responsible for unsolicited manu-
scripts. Second-class postage paid at
Louisville, Ky., and additional mailing
offices. Postmaster: Send form 3579
to Play Meter, P.O. Box 24170, New
Orleans, La. 70184. European Office:
Play Meter Promotions, 15. Great
North Rd., Brookmans Park, AL 9 6
LV, Hertfordshire, England.

por ia ecrrad

0000

OPERATORS
ASSOCIATION

MEMBER

POL PEAT sccunletvatesniapaeantaiieamiiecameebasemees 18

Bird Brain may not resolve the overwhelming question of
which came first the chicken or the egg, but at least it’s a
game that has chances for the operator.

MR. AVERAGE AND HIS OPERATION................... » 2D

Flay Meter’s definitive poll finds the answer to questions
such as what is the average free play percentage, etc.

TRANS ON SHOW acccuccteusnsetaniccsnstiantnaees .- 20

The AMOA show is here. In years to come, however, it
may be remembered as the show where solid state finally
came into its own.

PMUR SUA COHN cccaneyatepievawsdensaunieestedans 38

Frankie Avalon, Boots Randolph, Dave and Sugar—this
year’s stage show offers loads of diversified talents.

REET PERPEUMLENNA switcrsne cents ceemanthonbane’ 42

Chuck E. Cheese has added more than pizzaz to the pizza,
it's added game rooms.

DOE MLE Wecieieseeteeracinusteaturemammenansurie 45

The Book is finally on sale and while it may not be this
industry's Bible, it may certainly be its Roots.

WENO WON | DO cicnerramiedvnieewindng iutwngees 04

Ernest W. Fair gives operators some good hints on how to
improve that commission arrangement.

TRECMERGEN GE UP GREMLINscoiscusinbecnnaekeaeaas 66

They started out as a manufacturer of oceanographic
instruments and now have blossomed into a solid state
force in the industry todav.

VU THAEG YUU GEPERGNUIN ct cccerdarceedeeeanwe, 14

Roger C. Sharpe has done it again, another controversial
piece, this time about three-ball versus five-ball.

TRAFFIC AND THE SUPER MALL....................000. 94

Joe Fucini points out that despite the high monthly costs,
the super mall is well worth the investment.

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ORANG vccseviwkesekcuds xkiweeuareemecedeanseremeens 14
SG GBI iiccaccecmvcsassitiuarincenseentenisecer 4]
SU GUNING ase cuuketvskdedavencantpimeasersortecensas D6
CUTIES CONE ccsavexcecteiradedacaaseeenaisnelevensads bg
OW FOUTS: ioc seaaadvenncetecarseenensquseeriteas es 68
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FROM THE EDITOR

Setting aside the remote possibility that medical
science will have come up with a method of
extending the average human life expectancy
beyond 100 years, one can be reasonably certain
that by the year 2077 no one reading this article
will be alive. Agreed that’s not a very cheerful
thought to bring up, but it reminds us that the
world around us and things in it will survive us
all. That happens to include the coin-op amusement
business and the AMOA or whatever the industry’s
national association will be called in the year 2077.

This obviously conjures up the thought, what will
the AMOA show be like in 2077? What will our
children’s children see and hear at Expo 2077? Will
the pendulum of progress swing to the point where
machines are designed to play games of humanoid
sports, as the cover of this month’s issue depicts?

It may not be possible to describe the 2077
AMOA show in today’s terms. An adequate
description would probably be beyond our com-
prehension. But it does appear that some things
are certain to happen by the year 2077, and the
things I’m referring to are not beyond our com-
prehension; quite the contrary, I’m referring to
things the industry is faced with today. Today’s
problems will have been solved-- commissions,
taxes, economics, security, and the like.

It is fairly certain that there won’t be any
operators alive who will still be operating on a
50/50 commission structure. The Tri-Centennial
operator of 2077 will have a very reasonable and
workable system which I prefer to call the
“Variable Commission System.” This is a com-
mission arrangement whereby the commission on
each machine varies. A very costly, short-lived
arcade piece, for instance, might go for anywhere
from five to ten percent for the location owner;
and a rather inexpensive, low maintenance piece,
on the other hand, might go for up to fifteen or
1 twenty percent to the location owner.

I would also venture to say that future operators
won’t be wasting a lot of time counting money on
location. In fact, the whole collection process will
probably take a little less than five minutes. Two
electronic devices both keyed differently-- one kept
by the operator and the other by the location
owner-- will activate a memory device on a piece of
equipment. All pertinent information regarding the
immediate past performance of the machine will be
printed out in duplicate instantaneously, indicating
total plays, replays, extended time, and of course
an earnings breakdown complete with commission
computation. The collector will simply make out a
check payable to the location owner and leave
with the money in a self-contained locked box.

The AMOA show of 2077 will no doubt be the
biggest ever, There will be two shows actually--
one in March to start the arcade season which will
be moved from city to city and the other in the fall,

as is the custom today, and held in the fair city of
Chicago. Why will it be the biggest show ever?
Because the industry will still be in a stage of
growth. In fifty years this industry has been able
to attract roughly six percent of the general popu-
lation. By 2077 that figure will have at least tripled
and have a not-so-mere 82 percent left to grow.
Hence, the biggest show ever.

And will there be a NAMAMOA [National
Automatic Merchandisers Amusement and Music
Operators Association]? Probably not, the two
associations will probably have gone their separate
ways. NAMA will likely continue to have a music
and games exhibit if the response from this year’s
show is any indication, NAMA members who hap-
pened to notice the amusement exhibit area were
delighted with it because it was so interesting and
it kept their children amused. The exhibitors, on
the other hand, had mixed feelings on the subject.
Half said they would come back next year, and
the other half said they wouldn’t. Since NAMA
has nothing to lose and everything to gain by
having them back, they probably will.

What will the machines at the 2077 show be like
is anybody’s guess. Equipment may not have
evolved to the point where machines are playing
each other on other machines, but it would be safe
to say equipment will exist that is far beyond our
wildest dreams.

What will the Expo issue of Play Meter be like
in 2077? Hopefully, it will be a lot like this, only
bigger and better. Because as the industry gets
bigger and better, so does Play Meter.

Since this is our fourth AMOA Anniversary
Issue, I would like to extend my sincere ap-
preciation to all our subscribers here and abroad
who have given us the loyal support over the
years. I am especially grateful to the ten-plus per-
cent of our U.S. subscribers for participating in
Play Meter’s annual subscriber poll. I am pleased
to announce that the results of the poll are in this
issue. I can proudly say that it is by far the most
comprehensive and most significant survey ever
undertaken by a trade journal for the industry.
Rather than the opinions of manufacturers and
distributors, the Play Meter poll reports facts and
figures reported by legitimate operators from all
across the nation. We welcome anyone to challenge
the poll’s findings and deeply appreciate the hun-
dreds of subscriber operators who participated
and helped make this survey possible.

A final note, we look forward to meeting with
you at our booth [C-57] at the AMOA show in the
Continental Room on the upper level. See you

there. _ | |
Lex LEE GE
Z Ralph C. Lally II,

Publisher & Editor

November, 1977, PLAY METER

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Mailbox ....

Critic’s Corner
believers

My wife and I read Roger
Sharpe’s monthly “Critic’s Cor-
ner” with great pleasure.

Pinball has been our personal
pasttime for many years. As a
hobby, we _ recondition older
vintage machines, and find taking
a poor, old beaten-up pinball and
putting it in as nearly the original
condition as possible very re-
warding. It’s a toss-up which we
like more, playing or repairing.

In closing, we are looking
forward to Roger’s long awaited
book and, of course, many
additional installments of “Crit-
ic’s Corner.”

Bob and Tori Ayers
Denver, Colorado

Tech Editor responds

After reading Fred McCord’s
response to my Breakout article
in Mailbox—September, I find
myself a bit puzzled. While it is
true that 4016's are susceptible to
static regardless of the system
that they are used in, it is also a
well-known fact what input buf-
fer failures do to static are a very
common fault in video games.
This raises a few questions about
Atari's intentions regarding
Breakout, which I understand is
still in production.

Is Breakout now produced with
4016’s or 4066's? Does Atari plan
to distribute 4066’s to the people
who are operating unprotected
Breakouts? Will Atari alter any
existing Breakouts? Will Atari

stand behind their distributors
and authorize them to perform
the modification?

As a method of preventing
further unnecessary losses due to
downtime, perhaps more effort
should be made on the part of
Atari to inform the owners and
servicers of Atari equipment as
to common faults and _ their
solutions.

Robin Minnear
Game Doctors
San Jose, California

Logic comparator

I am interested in obtaining the
complete parts for building a
logic comparator board. What I
would actually like are the circuit
board and the logic parts needed.

Your articles in Play Meter for
February and March on building
the logic comparator, I felt, were

very informative.
Philip Barney

Russell-Hall, Inc.
Holyoke, Massachusetts

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November, 1977, PLAY METER

[Ed— Because of limited response
concerning circuit boards for
logic comparator I will not be
producing them at this time. For
those who still intend on building
the comparator, I have a slight
change which will cause a little
less confusion when reading the

LED’s. This also uses a less eben soucour
expensive switch. By hooking the scars
compare circuitry up in the way
shown below, you no longer have
to disregard the readings on the
pins that are input pins. Notice

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PLAY METER, 1977, November

that the switch is now a S.P.S.T.
instead of a S.P.D.T. When the
switch is in the output position,
the two chips are being com-
pared. When the switch ts in the
input position, all the inputs
(including the 7486's), are tted
together, this will cause the
corresponding LED not to light.
This change, for the better, was
brought to my attention by
Charles Rowland of Richmond,
Virginia. |

@#@eeee098000208080

AMOA’s strength

The question is asked: What
gives AMOA its strength? The
answer is: AMOA has the abiding
interest and informed loyalty of
the operator. AMOA was found-
ed by operators and the bulk of
its membership is made up of
operators, with a strong and
much-appreciated supporting
membership from other catego-
ries. Its purpose is service to the
operator, and as long as AMOA
serves the operator, it will in
effect serve the whole industry,
and it will prosper.

AMOA membership is open to
all operators regardless of size—
small, medium, large. AMOA is
not oriented toward, nor domi-
nated by, any particular group.
Any operator member, regard-
less of size, who has the will to
work, may be elected to officer
leadership. The small as well as
the large operators feels com-
fortable in the AMOA. Which is
another reason why operators
hold this association, their as-
sociation, in such high regard.

During the past year it has
been my privilege to work closely
with President Garland B. Gar-
rett, Sr., who was once himself a
small operator. For that reason
he is mindful of the operator’s
problems, and it was he more
than anyone else who organized
the AMOA mechanics schools
this year, which have served the
operators so well. We all owe
President Garland Garrett a
warm vote of thanks for his
successful efforts on behalf of the
operator and the national associa-
tion.

Frederick M. Granger
Executive Vice President
AMOA

Garland Garrett, Sr., president of the AMOA and
this month’s Coinman, started his career in the
coin-op industry back in 1986 in Danville, Virginia.
Back then an area operator who was recovering
from minor surgery needed a driver to chauffer him

around for a couple of weeks. Mr. Garrett,
however, remained around a little longer than two
weeks—about fifteen years to be exact.

There was a brief spell of 23 months in between
jobs for Southern Vending Company in Danville,
when he worked for a shipyard in Wilmington,
North Carolina, but then a return visit to his old
employer was all that was needed to get him back
into the fold.

In the early 1950s he finally struck out on his
own. He noticed that there were no cigarette
machines on the streets in Wilmington; so he moved
back there for the sole purpose of going into the
cigarette machine business. He bought out a few
cigarette machine vendors and quickly his business
began to grow. He was also in partnership with a
friend in another line of coin-op equipment and in
1955 bought him out. “From there I just continued
to grow,” Garrett said. He bought out one business
after another and found himself acquiring more and
more jukeboxes and arcade pieces, as well as
auto-photo machines.

At present his operation extends into five
states—North Carolina, Tennessee, South Caroli-
na, ain and Georgia (around the Augusta
area).

Though he once operated about 130 auto-photos,
that total is now down to 75. His cigarette machines
still comprise a large part of his operation, about
140 to 150 machines. He also operates about 250
qukeboxes and, in the summertime, about 1,750
amusement games. That amusement game figure,

however, drops to around 1,000 during the winter
months because he does good business in the
summer months in the resort areas.

Mr. Garrett ts 59 years old, married (his wife's
name is Evelyn). His son, Garland Garrett, Jr.
works in the business with him. And his daughter,
Linda Jean, lives in Danville, Virginia. In all, this
month’s Coinman has five grandchildren—all boys.

He’s an avid fan of all major American
sports — baseball, basketball, and football. And he’s
quick to add that the Atlantic Coast Conference is
“probably the strongest in the nation.” Mr. Garrett
is a longtime Yankee fan who can talk firsthand
about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and all the other
Yankee sluggers. He is especially fond of talking
about having seen Phil Rizzuto break into the
majors from the Yankee farm club in his hometown.

He’s a nine handicap golfer who belongs to two
country clubs, Pine Valley and Echo Farms. His
busy schedule as president of the AMOA, however,
hasn’t left him any time to practice his golf swing,
but he promises that come November he'll become a
common sight once again on the fairways.

He is also very active in his church, The First
Baptist Church in Wilmington, where he serves on
the board of deacons and also on the church’s
finance committee. His other activities include
membership in the local chamber of commerce
where he belongs to a committee that is looking for
new business for the area. And he also sponsors a
little league baseball team and a bowling team.

For the past year he has been right in the thick of
the copyright discussions with ASCAP, SESAC,
and BMI. So with the registering date of January 1
fast-approaching, we thought this would be the best
place to begin our discussion with the AMOA
president.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

PLAY METER: With the copyright law about to go
into effect, what has the A.M.O.A. been doing
recently with regard to this matter?

GARRETT: Well, we know the operators are going
to have to pay eight dollars for each jukebox; the
law has already determined that, but what we’ve
been doing is concerning ourselves with the
implementation of this law. How is the operator
going to have to file? What information is he going
to have to include when he files? These are
important questions. According to the legislation,
the operators are going to have to give their names
and addresses, and either the manufacturer’s serial
number for each box or else some other explicit
identification of the phono record player. Now,
what we are going to try to get the copyright
tribunal to go by—instead of the name and address
of the manufacturer and the manufacturer’s serial
number is the phrase “other explicit identification
of the phono record.” You see, there is no need for
the name of the manufacturer, and it doesn’t make
any difference if it’s a serial number or a coded
number that is assigned to each box by the
copyright office. We're trying to simplify this law
just as much as possible so that we can comply with

It.

PLAY METER: And what do the performing rights
societies want in the implementation of this law?
GARRETT: To start with, they feel—in fact, they
have always felt—that eight dollars a box is too
low. So obviously they are going to be trying in the
future to jack the ceiling up. But, to answer your
question, what BMI wants from the operator is a
rather lengthy list. They want the name and
address of the manufacturer, the manufacturer’s
serial number for each box, the name and address of
the operator, the name and address of the jukebox
lease (if there is one), the expiration date of that
lease, the name and address of the records
distributor, the number of records that are in the
jukebox, the titles of the selections that are in the
jukebox at the beginning of the calendar year, the
additions and deletions during the course of the
year, and the titles of the selections at the end of
the calendar year. In addition, they also want
separate certificates for each unit, instead of one
certificate for multiple units. It’s just impossible to
comply with a request like that. It would take a
stack of records a foot high to comply with some of
their wishes.

PLAY METER: Obviously, BMI is asking for quite
a bit of information. But what about ASCAP and
SESAC. What are they asking for?

GARRETT: Well, ASCAP didn’t ask for the same
things explicitly. But to give you an idea, BMI’s list
is just two sheets; ASCAP’s is maybe twenty. What
ASCAP did was take each phrase of the law and
break it down and give what they are asking for.
PLAY METER: Do you think the final implementa-
tion will be closer to what AMOA is asking or what
ASCAP or BMI is asking for?

GARRETT: Your guess is just as good as mine on
that. It was for that reason that we met with BMI
and with ASCAP and SESAC and held lengthy
discussions with them. The first meeting was with
BMI, and it lasted about 21/2 hours, and I think it

PLAY METER, November, 1977

was a very worthwhile meeting. They asked many
questions about our business, questions which, I
think, showed that they don’t know too much about
our business at all. But I think that after their
meeting with us they had a better understanding of
our business. And the same thing held true of our
meeting with ASCAP and SESAC. After that
meeting, I think they better understood our
position and how our business operates. One thing
which really surprised them was the number of
machines that we move from year to year. I
estimate that about forty or fifty percent of the
jukeboxes on an operator’s route are moved in a
period of a year. In my own business, for instance,
about forty percent of the jukeboxes are moved
within a given year. I operate in a resort area, and I
might buy 20 or 25 brand new machines to cover my
very best locations at the beach. They demand a
new machine every year. And that new machine
will stay there for about four months. And then,
when the beach season closes, I bring those 20
machines in and put them on my 20 best locations,
and I move the 20 machines that are on those
locations to my second-best locations, and so on
down the line for my third-best and fourth-best
locations. The performing rights societies didn’t
realize that there was this much moving going on.
They are familiar with background music where
you put it in and it stays there for fifteen years.
PLAY METER: Do you now feel they will modify
their requests somewhat?

GARRETT: I hope so. The AMOA tried to point out
to them at the meetings that all that is necessary is
for the operators to be identified by name and
address and then there should be a certificate
number or some kind of identification number
which would be issued from the copyright office.
We tried to show them that, because of -the
highly-mobile nature of our business, it’s just not
feasible for us to list our locations. Besides, listing
by location is not authorized, nor is it appropriate.
Listing by locations serves no useful purpose. If we
had to list the locations then, with all the changes
we make with our jukeboxes every year, in addition
to the initial registration of 450,000 machines, there
would have to be about 225,000 more re-registra-
tions over the course of the year. Obviously, such
voluminous and costly paperwork can only result
in a drastic reduction in the net royalties that would
remain for distribution at the royalty office. Also, if
listing by locations were required, then moving a
jukebox from one location to another would
presumably invalidate that certificate. In fact,
ASCAP had a request to this effect, that the
operator pay an additional eight-dollar fee each
time the jukebox is moved. Our attorney, Nicholas
Allen has pointed out to them in a letter that this
request was “utterly unreasonable, arbitrary, and
capricious.” He told them it would make the law
confiscatory and destructive to the jukebox
business. The primary consideration should be,
quite simply, is the jukebox registered and the
royalty paid? If it is registered, then the location of
the jukebox is immaterial. If the box is not
registered, then, obviously, it is in violation of the
law. And such a result flies in the fact of the

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details.

realities of the business and it certainly has no
support in the wording or the history of the law.
The law is explicit. The whole purpose of the
paperwork is to identify the phono record player
only. It does not authorize identifying the locations.
PLAY METER: Do ASCAP and the others now
understand the operators’ concern to keep
knowledge of their locations to themselves?
GARRETT: This is one thing we tried to get across
to them. Nobody wants to have as public record the
names and addresses of all his locations. If we had
to list our locations, this would leave us wide open
to “blue-sky” operations which would move right in
and sell equipment direct to our locations. Look,
someone could easily move right in and show the
location owner how he could make more money if he
had his own equipment. You can take a pencil and
paper and a dozen eggs and if you keep on
multiplying, you'll be a daggone millionnaire. Take
two rabbits, and you can do the same thing. It’s
very easy to sell someone on the idea that they can
own their own equipment, but they don’t realize the
service that’s involved. They don’t realize the
records should be changed every week on the
jukebox. I have never seen a location that bought
its own jukebox and didn’t experience a fall in its
cashbox take. When the location starts buying
those records out of its own pocket, they don’t think
about changing them as often as they should, and
for that reason, the jukebox play falls off.
PLAY METER: It’s quite obvious that there is still
a lot about the copyright law that has to be
resolved. Who will decide what goes into the
implementation of this law?

GARRETT: The copyright tribunal which is
composed of five people to be appointed by
Congress will make the final determination. We've
just gotten a list of the five appointees, but as far as
I understand, they have not been confirmed by the
Senate as of yet. I think what they are going to do is
run a background check on these candidates and
then confirm them. And it will be their duty to look
at the law and see how it applies and study the
recommendations from us and ASCAP and the
others and then come up with something that,
hopefully, will be satisfactory for everyone
concerned.

PLAY METER: You said you have a list of the
names. Could you tell us who is being considered for
this assignment and what their backgrounds are?
GARRETT: Sure. Those people are Tom Brennan,
who is a counsel for the Senate copyright
committee; Clarence L. James, Jr., a Cleveland
attorney; Frances Garcia, an accountant from
Austin, Texas; Douglas Culter, a Vietnam veteran
from Indiana; and Mary Lou Berg from West Bend,
Wisconsin, who is the former deputy chairwoman of
the Democratic National Committee. If confirmed,
those five people will have the say-so over what
transpires. Now, I might add that these people will
be receiving a salary of $47,500 each per year.
PLAY METER: What would happen if something
near to what ASCAP or BMI is asking would come
to pass? If the copyright tribunal accepted
something along those lines, do you think the

November, 1977, PLAY METER

AMOA would consider taking its case to court?
GARRETT: Well, here I’m not talking for the
AMOA but for myself personally, but if the
copyright tribunal went along with something not
pertaining to the law then, yes, I think the AMOA
and the operators would go to court. If they would
require me to list my jukeboxes by location, I
personally would go to court before I would do
that. The leadership of the AMOA, by the way, did
discuss this point among themselves and the
consensus was that the AMOA might make it a
court case if the copyright legislation was made too
difficult to comply with.

PLAY METER: What are some other things the
AMOA considers essential in the implementation
of this copyright law?

GARRETT: For one thing, single application for
multiple machines should definitely be permitted.
Then if you have 100 or 200 machines, you could
send in all your applications at one time. The
performing artist societies are talking about in-
dividual applications for each jukebox, but this
again would require too much paperwork. Our
whole purpose must be to make this law as easy to
comply with as possible.

PLAY METER: Just one more question on the
copyright law, how often will the jukebox royalty
come up for review by the copyright tribunal?

GARRETT: It will come up for review in 1980, and
then every ten years thereafter.

PLAY METER: How do you see the AMOA year in
general as far as the membership?

GARRETT: I think that more interest has been
created in the AMOA because of our mechanics
school, for one thing. We have had _ several
mechanics schools now on pin games, and they
have been quite successful.

PLAY METER: Who’s brainchild was it to have
the mechanics’ schools?

GARRET: Well, the AMOA is always looking for
new services for its members, and I have always
believed that before a person can fix a solid state
game he’s going to have to know how to fix an
electro-mechanical one. So it was my idea that we
take the people that have been working with us
and who were probably moving equipment around,
answering a few service calls, and fixing a few
minor things and give them a chance to step up. The
idea was endorsed and approved by the AMOA
board. They all liked the idea because everyone on
the board feels like we need to bring in more peo-
ple into this business. There’s a shortage of service-
men, and we need to educate more people in this
area. My idea was to start these men with the
ABCs of mechanics, get them to read schematics,
then getting them familiar with electro-mechanical
and then letting them work their ways up from
there. It’s the same thing as starting out in the first
grade then graduating on up until you’re in solid
state.

PLAY METER: How many schools have there
been now?

GARRETT: We’ve had three schools in Smyrna,
Georgia. Then a lady from Indiana who sent one of
her men to the school liked it so much she wrote us
a very nice letter and said if we would hold one in

continued on page 98

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-Born-again pinball wizard?

There’s a pinball machine in the
President’s home in Plains, Georgia.
Chip and Caron Carter, pinball
enthusiasts and members of Ameri-
ca’s First Family, recently bought
the very popular Bally Fireball game
and had it delivered to their home,
which also happens to be the home
of President Jimmy Carter.

Lee Martin, of Able Amusement
Company in Macon, Georgia was
the operator who sold the pingame
to the Carters. With Chip Carter's
permission, he was able to get
excellent television coverage of the
delivery of the pinball machine and
of Chip playing the game. The
television report incorporated the
Carter pinball story with a_ story
about Georgia operators’ recent
successful attempts to improve their
image by forming an association.

Martin said he plans to forward a
copy of the local telecast to CBS’s
’60-Minutes’’ production crew. The

popular television documentary
show recently featured pinball ma-
chines on one of its telecasts and
Martin is hoping that this new
footage might lead into another
favorable story for the industry.

After delivering the pingame,
Martin said, ‘| consider this to be an
important event in the history of
pinball, notwithstanding the boost it
will give to the present image of the
industry.”

He said that Chip and Caron
Carter have been pinball fans for
years and that ‘’when they decided
they wanted one of their own, Chip
contacted me about the Fireball.

“He considers Fireball to be one
of the truly great pinballs,’’ Martin
said as an aside.

He continued, ‘’Naturally when
he contacted me, | was only too
happy to oblige. While we were
setting up the machine, someone

asked Chip if there was a pinball
machine in the White House. His
reply was, ‘No, but if | move back to
Washington, I’m taking this one
with me.”

Martin was ebullient. ‘‘Can you
imagine that?” he said. ’’A pinball in
the White House!’’

Martin said he also delivered six
Bally Evel Knievel T-shirts with the
Carter peanut warehouse insignia
emblazoned on the back. Chip is
presently employed at his father’s
peanut business in Plains, Georgia.

Chip Carter’s Fireball may well be
the most inspected game in the
history of the industry. Martin told
Play Meter that secret service men
had to check the game thoroughly
before they would allow the game
into the house. ‘They wanted to
make sure there weren’t = any
bugging devices in it,’’ explained
Martin.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

Crimebuster retained

Steve Olynyk, who _ personally
smashed a quarter million dollars’
worth of pinball games in a 28-year
police career as a crimebuster, has
been retained by the Association of

Family Entertainment Centers
(AFEC) to serve as its ‘’con-
science.”

Gerard Blanchette, chairman of
the board of AFEC, which groups
ten of Montreal’s largest companies
specializing in coin-operated amuse-
ment machines, said Olynyk has
been given an ‘open mandate to
call the shots as he sees them.”

And Olynyk, 55, who retired from
the Montreal Urban Community
Police Department two years ago,
made clear he has no intention of
“oulling my punches.

| have agreed to act as AFEC’s
technical consultant because | know
a number of the men involved and

PLAY METER, November, 1977

they are honest businessmen. But if
| find any shortcomings in the way
they operate and if they refuse to
remedy them, I'll blow the whistle.
And I'll be available to help the
police prosecute any violation of the
law, whether it involves an AFEC
member or otherwise.”’

Blanchette said the former police
lieutenant, who has been called
“the epitome of the tough and
honest cop” by the Montreal Star
and by The Gazette the ‘'chief
nemesis” of gambling, will be free
to investigate each of the 58 centers
of AFEC’s members ‘at the time
and under the circumstances he
chooses, without prior notice.

After each visit, he will report his
observations to AFEC, and we will
act on_ his recommendations. In
short, he will serve as our con-
science.’’

Blanchette said the hiring of

Olynyk was evidence of AFEC’s
“sincerity in adopting a declaration
of principles and announcing that
we would self-police our operations.

“It would be impossible to find
anyone more severe in regard to
amusement games than Olynyk. In
the days when pinball games were
illegal, he personally smashed a
quarter million dollars worth of
equipment and buried it in what
later was to become the main
parking lot of Expo 67.”

Long one of Montreal’s top racket
investigators, Olynyk was second in
command of the Montreal police
social security squad—a special unit
tackling organized crime in all its
facets. It investigated such major
fields of organized crime as gam-
bling, arson, and_ bankruptcies,
protection, blackmail, pornography,
and fraud.

SS Oe ee
Fee ee a
ae 3 « «“

Pinball
tournament

Southern Amusement Company
of Clinton, Mississippi recently held
its first pinball tournament and gave
away as its first place award Big
Top, an electronic home pinball
game from Wico.

The nine next highest pinballers in
the competition also won prizes and
awards in the tournament, but there
were no cash awards given. Said
Billy Jones, president of Southern
Amusement, ‘We didn’t want the
people to think we were using
pinball machines for payoffs.”

He added, ‘We feel the word
pinball in our area now has a
different meaning. A lot of skepti-
cism has been eliminated. People
who had put a lot of money into
pinball machines to become good
players were given the opportunity
to use their talents in competition.”

The tournament used a variety of
fifteen flipper games and was run by
tournament director Joey Aguzin.
The competition took place at the
Games People Play arcade in
Jackson,. Mississippi.

Said Jones after the competition,
“The entire tournament was a
success. We are definitely going to
have a bigger and better one in the
near future and strongly advise
other companies to do the same.”’

The winner of the Big Top pinball
game was Jeff Richards, 14, of
Jackson, Mississippi. Portions of

the tournament were also televised
by ABC television affiliate WAPT,
Channel 16.

Don Miller (center), AMOA instruc-
tor, is holding ten-day service
schools which cover the basics in
service work.

~ Rock-Ola,

‘Man ofthe Year’

Another coin machine division
dinner is being planned by the Music
and Amusement Association of
New York, in behalf of United
Jewish Appeal. MAA President
Irving Holzman announced that the
board of directors has selected
Humbert '’Bert’’ Betti of Demarest,

New Jersey, to be ’’Man of the

Year” at the gala industry fund-
raiser, December third at the New
York Hilton Hotel.

Betti is chairman of the board of
H. Betti Industries, distributors for
Automatic Products,
Moyer-Deibel, Atari, Kee Industries,
and Stern Electronics. He founded
the firm 45 years ago, and currently
they employ 100 people, head-
quartered in North Bergen, New

Jersey.

Betti was born in Scotland, and
came to the United States in 1927.
He is married to the former Eileen
Ellis. They have three children—
Peter, Robert, and Susan.

“Bert was chosen to receive this
honor because for many years he
has been noted for exemplary
professionalism in the electronic
music-game industry,’’ stated MAA
Executive Director Ben Chicofsky.

The Coin Machine Division-UJA
Dinner Dance traditionally has been
a well attended social highlight. Last
year, New York City Councilman-
At-Large Eugene Mastropieri was
the honored guest at an affair which
yielded approximately $60,000 in
contributions.

AMOA’s ten-day course

Earlier this year the AMOA started
offering ten-day service schools for
operators to send their people to.
The purpose of the schools is to give
the students a fundamental know-
ledge of electro-mechanics and,
hopefully, to help put an end to
what has become one of the
industry’s biggest problems today —
a shortage of qualified mechanics.

The recent AMOA service school
in Indianapolis, Indiana gave Play
Meter a chance to look in on the
school and report firsthand what the
AMOA and course instructor Don
Miller are offering operators for their
money.

The ten-day school means just
that—ten solid days of instructions
with classes running from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. and no breaks for the
weekend. Saturdays and Sundays
are regular class days; this is
something which cuts down the
amount of time the student is away
from his job and also helps the
operator as far as his other expenses
for sending the student to the
school.

The training program zeroes in on
one of the major weaknesses in
many routemen today, an inability
to read schematics. Instructor Miller
offers a detailed and exhaustive
course on schematic reading which
follows through with every circuit
on the schematic and explains its

function.

His students are taught the proper
shop procedures and are required as
part of the course work to disassem-
ble and reassemble the various units
and understand how they work. In
addition, approximately three days
are spent doing actual trouble-
shooting on the machines using the
schematics to find the electrical
problems and using common sense
to find the mechanical problems.
Some attention is also given to
digital flippers and some _ video
problems are also discussed. The
students are also made aware of low
voltage and the problems it can
cause, residual magnetism, and
even how to use a jumper wire.

Miller's AMOA school leaves no
stone unturned. He even gets into
the public and fellow relations since
he points out a person can’t be just
a mechanic. He must know how to
get along with people. There is also
time devoted to how to move
machines and set them up _ in
locations.

Students are required for the
course to come prepared with a
notebook, pencil, their own tools,
and a desire to learn. The classes are
limited to twenty students, an
enrollment small enough to insure
that every student is afforded
individual attention. The enrollment
fee is $150 per student.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

pinbal

New Orleans| seminar planned by Bally

Eight-Ball
Tournament

With more than $10,000 in cash
and merchandise prizes at stake,
over 4,000 men and women pocket
billiards enthusiasts are expected to
compete in this year’s Third Annual
Greater New Orleans Coin-Operated
8-Ball Pool Tournament, according
to tournament director Bob Nims.
The event got underway the week
of September 19 at 32 co-sponsor-
ing business establishments in the
New Orleans area.

Nine consecutive weeks of quali-
fying rounds at each _ sponsor’s
location will determine finalists for
the championship playoffs to be
held at the local Marriott Hotel in
late November, said Nims, who is
also president of A.M.A. Distribu-
tors, Inc., a New Orleans amuse-
ment equipment firm which is again
directing the tourney. Also sponsor-
ing the event is Lucky Coin
Machine Co., Inc., local operator of
coin-operated amusement equip-
ment.

A total of 382 cash, merchandise
and trophy prizes will be awarded in
the overall tourney. Included are
$2,400 in cash prizes for 24 winners

and runners-up in the _ playoffs.

“Anyone can win one or more of
the prizes because 8-Ball is that kind
of game,”’ said Nims. He said the
tourney is open to all men and
women of legal age (18 or over).

Each co-sponsoring place of
business is holding one qualifying
round weekly for eight consecutive
weeks to obtain an equal number of
winners. Each weekly winner is
awarded a professional ‘’Hustler’’
two-piece cue stick with a_ black
leatherette carrying case. The eight
weekly winners at each location will
then compete during the ninth week
for first place in one of three class
divisions (A,B,C). The three division
winners of each location will receive
trophies and certificates making
them eligible for the championship
playoffs.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Bally Manufacturing Corp. will
sponsor a two-day seminar on its
electronic flipper games in Chicago
October 26 and 27, just prior to the
AMOA show.

The pinball manufacturer has
increased its staff and has stepped
up its training program with course
work being conducted by four Bally

representatives. Those four instruc-
tors which will be at the two-day
seminar in Chicago are Jack O’Don-
nell,, Darrell Blendowski, Chuck
Wellestat, and Bernie Powers.

The class size will be limited and
to insure a place in the class,
interested operators should contact
their distributors immediately.

Michigan association discusses
ordinance with Detroit Council

The Music Operators of Michigan
(MOM), which has been battling a
proposed Detroit ordinance which
would severly restrict pinball opera-
tors in that city (August Play Meter,
page 14), was invited recently to the
Detroit Common Council for an
informal discussion on the proposed
ordinance.

As expected, many Detroit opera-
tors also appeared at the meeting
and spoke to the council on the
impact of the ordinance. But what
came as a Surprise was that also in
attendance at the council meeting
and speaking against the proposed
ordinance was a state representative
from Detroit George Cushingberry
who said he opposed the severe
restrictions on amusement devices.
He suggested instead a less drastic
approach than what the city council
is already considering.

The proposed Detroit ordinance
would ban game machines within
500 feet of all schools in the city and
reduce from eight to two the
number of game machines in a
location which would define a
location as an arcade.

Several legal questions were
raised at the meeting with the
Detroit council concerning the
proposed ordinance: whether Class
“C’’ taverns will be exempted (they
will be), and the absence of any
grandfather clause which would
protect any existing locations (li-
censed operators will be given more
time to comply, but they too must
comply).

At a later meeting with the
council, the state association pro-
vided the council with an economic
impact report which outlined the
loss in jobs, wages, taxes to the city

and business to the location own-
ers, machine operators, and distrib-
utors. The Detroit council has not
yet commented on the report.

Carl Levin, Detroit City Council
president, suggested that the in-
dustry set up some means of
self-regulation which would be a
sort of industry arm to head off
trouble spots and correct any that
developed. Subsequently, MOM
members met to formulate a
self-regulation program td submit to
the council. The group finally came
upon an industry watchdog com-
mittee that would be comprised of
two Detroit operators, one council
member or a council designee, a
private citizen, the secretary of
MOM or his designee, and a
manufacturer or a distributor or his
designee. That proposal has been
submitted to the council but no
report has been returned on the
council’s opinion of the makeup of
that committee.

Walt Maner, MOM general man-
ager, said that any further action on
the proposed ordinance probably
will not be done until after the
elections in November. ‘’The out-
look appears good, but we can’t let
down for a moment,” he added. *’I
feel reason will ultimately prevail in
this matter. I’m encouraged by the
good response of many businesses
in Detroit. Our case has been
well-received, and | think this whole
matter is getting out of the
emotional vein and into a more
rational framework.”’ He said that
there has been a_ tremendous
amount of help afforded MOM by
distributors and manufacturers who
have taken it upon themselves to
help fight this ordinance.

Fowl Play

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TN
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YOU TAKE x

, SRO BRAIN TAKES
“ ;

By Laura Kaufman

The coin clinks, the light blinks—
then man and chicken engage in a
unique battle of wits. The chicken
punches a button in her ‘thinkin’
booth.’” An ''O” appears on the
upper left-hand corner of the grid.
“Your turn” flashes and the human
presses a button on the scoreboard
causing an ‘’X” to light up in one of
the squares.

The game may be old hat but
competing against a live chicken in
tick-tack-toe is a new experience.
These birds are experts and spend
six to eight hours a day pecking
buttons in an amusement machine
called ‘’Bird Brains.’’ Despite the
long hours no fowl language is
emitted when one of them is beat.

They never are. These hens
employ some bigger brains to assist
them.

Every machine is equipped with a
computer which actually responds
to the plays of the humans. As the
chicken pecks the button, the
computer chooses the best square
in which the chicken’s ‘0’ should
appear. Although the most one can
achieve now is a tie, in the new
machines it will be possible to beat
the bird 20 percent of the time
providing the player is competent.

Making sure the birds are compe-
tent contenders is the job of Mike
Medeiros who is co-owner with
Stan Allan of Money Making
Machines of San Diego. While Allan
heads the office and takes care of
the administrative end of the
business it is Medeiros’s responsibil-
ity to train the chickens and make
sure the machines are properly built.

"We start out the training by
putting molasses on the _ signal
light,’’ Medeiros says (In a game a
signal light in the ‘’thinkin’ booth’
goes on, letting the chicken know
it’s time to peck the button). ‘’The
chicken will go for the smell and the
taste,’’ Medeiros continues. ‘After
two weeks a feeder is put in her
training cage which is similar to the
machine except for the lack of a
scoreboard or computer.”

The feeder is a rectangular box
which rests against the wall of the
cage. There is a trough at the
bottom just below the hole where
the grain comes out. Inside the
machine there is a little door which
opens to discharge the feed. The
chicken learns to recognize the click
of the door after the game is over
and to associate it with the reward
of grain. She also becomes aware
that the signal light goes off when
the game is over.

Medeiros says that The Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals investigated the facilities
and gave them a clean bill of health.

“There's nothing detrimental as far
as the box goes,’”’ he states. ‘The
only stipulation was not to work the
birds more than 12 hours a day.”

Medeiros explained that ‘‘When
the bird is fully trained, you can
leave her idle two, three, or four
weeks and she'll still play when you
put her back in the box.

Only female chickens are used in
“Bird Brains.’’ Medeiros contends
that roosters are too tempermental
and can’t work as long or as fast.

Because each ‘’Bird Brain’’ ma-
chine is custom-made, Medeiros
commissions specialists to work on
each part. He hires carpenters to
construct the wooden box which is
painted rustically in shades of brown
and yellow. An electrician is enlisted
to hook up both the signal light in
the ‘’thinkin’ booth” and the lights
on the outside which illuminate the
scoreboard. The computers are
handled by an electronics man. A
silk screener does all the ‘’chicken
scratchings’’ which include the
scrawling of ‘’Bird Brain’ on a large
oblong sign with artificially corroded
edges.

Although it’s rumored if the birds
lose they'll be sent to Kentucky
Fried Chicken, none have become
“extra crispy’ yet. It they do go up
to that ‘big bucket in the sky” it
won't be for five or six years as they
are all certified by a vet who says
that’s their average life expectancy.

With the chicken’s unique ability
to draw a crowd, “Bird Brains” are
placed in all kinds of situations. One
is roosted in an amusement park.
A company is renting out a machine
as a promotion for their sale giving
each person that beats the chicken a
10 percent discount on their mer-
chandise. Other hens are visiting
fairs and exhibitions around the
country.

Why does ‘’Bird Brains’’ enjoy so
much success?

“People love to watch an animal
perform,’’ Medeiros says. ‘’Where
else can they see one perform for 25
cents? Almost everyone knows it’s a
computer, but they'll still play

because they want to watch the
chicken.”

November, 1977, PLAY METER

Parks exhibit space sold out

The Parks show is a sellout. The
International Association of Amuse-
ment Parks and Attractions Exposi-
tion (IAAPA) at the Rivergate in
New Orleans November 19-21 has
already sold out all its exhibit space
for this year, according to exhibits
and trade show chairman Robert K.
Bell.

Bell reported that roughly 300
companies will be represented in
exhibits at this year’s show. The
demand for exhibit space was so
great this year, Bell reported, that
IAAPA added dn outside exhibit
area of 16,000 square feet. This is in
addition to the 13,000 square feet of
exhibit space inside the Rivergate
complex. Last year’s show was
contained within the New Orleans
exhibition center.

Among those that will be repre-
sented at this year’s show will be
delegations from five countries—
Great Britain, West Germany, Italy,
Switzerland, and Canada. The Great
Britain delegation, with 18 com-
panies represented in the show, will
be the largest foreign delegation in
attendance.

Among the new products the
British will feature at the Parks show
will be coin-operated money push-
ers, kiddie rides, and a shooting
gallery.

Alfred Crompton
Machines Ltd. will

Amusement
present the

Dudes Canyon

By London Coin Machines Ltd.

Indianapclis Super 400
By London Coin Machines Ltd.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Copper Canyon money pusher,
available in free-standing, two-play-
er and counter models. Equipped
with an anti-tilt device, the machine
has an attractive movement and
offers high earning power in a small
space. The player’s winnings are
automatically converted to tokens.

Two machines that dispense
winnings in tokens to make them
suitable for the United States will be
displayed by Dennis Jezzard Ltd.
The Tap A Coin is a single- or
three-player machine which gives
three chances to win with each
coin. The Ding A Bell, for one, two,
or eight players, challenges the
player to slide coins down a field
into holes of varying sizes and
values.

Exhibiting for the first time in the
United States will be Whittaker
Bros. Ltd., a leading manufacturer
of kiddie rides in Europe. On display
will be two coin-operated rides, one
with a swingboat movement and
fitted with eight-track fairground
music, and the other a fiberglass
car. Another first-time exhibitor
from Great Britain will be London
Coin Machines Ltd. The London
firm will show two driving games
and the Dudes Canyon Amusement
Machine, a_ four-player moving
target shooting gallery with sound
effects.

Coin Controls Ltd. will highlight

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its coin acceptance and selector
mechanisms. Also at the exposition
will be casino-style slot machines
and amusement devices by Bell-
Fruit Manufacturing Company, coin
pushers by Alca Electronics Ltd.,
and coin-operated radio-controlled
amusements by Space Age Elec-
tronics.

In conjunction with the trade
show, there will be a convention
featuring a series of workshops from
November 17-20. Some of those
workshops and their times are as
follows: smaller facilities workshop,
November 17, 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.;
a marketing workshop, November
18, 3 p.m.; an entertainment
workshop, November 18, 8 p.m.; a
safety and security workshop, No-
vember 18, 8 p.m.

In addition, there will be a special
tour for the ladies of the IAAPA—a
tour of the King Tut exhibit which is
on display at the New Orleans
Exhibit of Art. The annual banquet
and show will be held November 20
with New Orleans entertainer Al Hirt
as the featured entertainer.

Convention chairman for the
Parks show is Truman B. Wood-
worth of Mariott’s Great America in
California. The exhibits will be open
from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
November 19; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on November 20; and from 9:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 21.

WHEL

Swing Boat
By Whittaker Bros. Ltd.

Mr. Average

and his

operation

When it comes to measuring
one’s success in penetrating a
market, there is probably no better
standard than checking how Mr.
Average is doing. Thus, after an
exhaustive Play Meter survey (we
polled thousands of our _ paid
subscribers and received a response
of better than ten percent), Mr.
Average in the coin-operated a-
musement industry has emerged as
someone who operates about 200
pieces of equipment in 75 locations.

He is, for the most part, still
old-fashioned in his pricing struc-
ture, but seems to be changing with
the times when it comes to
electro-mechanical versus _ solid
state.

One-third of the equipment he
operates is pinball machines, and
one-fourth is phonographs. Arcade
pieces and pool tables follow in that
order, with foosball tables, air
hockey tables, shuffle alleys, wall
games, and other amusement de-
vices making up about 15 percent of
his entire operation.

Mr. Average, it turns out, is a
troubled soul. He bought more in
1977 than he did in 1976 (60 percent
of the operators bought more
phonographs and 69 percent bought
more games), but he seems to be
enjoying it less.

COMPLAINTS

His Number One complaint is the
competition which he almost always
refers to as ‘‘cutthroat.’’ One of the
Play Meter respondees described his
competition as ‘greedy. Some
operators,’’ he said, ‘’will do almost
anything to get a location, and that
includes paying the locations, giving

loans, and changing the commis-
sion split.”

The second most heard complaint
among operators concerns. the
locations. Said one northwestern
operator, ‘Many location owners
feel they are doing you a favor by
letting you put your machines in
their place.”

Other operators complained that,
because of this feeling, many
locations demand loans and a better
split.

The third most frequent com-
plaint dealt with new equipment—
its high cost and dependability.

Said one eastern operator, ‘’The
high cost of new equipment and the
rate at which it has increased in the
past three years is not only high, but
the equipment is too flimsy to last.”’
This operator also complained that,
as a result, the operators’ net is
decreasing every year. ‘’Changing
the split,” he said, “is not the
solution because that will only
encourage locations to buy their
own equipment.”

Another operator echoed the
eastern operator’s remarks about
the dependability of the new
equipment. Said he, ‘’A lot of the
games do not have the workman-
ship quality in them they used to
have. Buy a new piece of equip-
ment, and it does not function
properly and you have a lot of
service calls on it.”

A third operator had his own
theory about game designs: *’! think
a lot of the games are designed on
Monday mornings when the engi-
neers are still hungover from the
weekends.” He also complained
that “many machines require you to

have midget hands for servicing, are
poorly designed, or are designed not
to be serviced at all.”’

Still another operator rattled off a
litany of all the operators’ com-
plaints: ‘’What | like least about the
operating business is the new
operators who would rather plow
your ground than loom for new
fields. Prices are rising ridiculously.
Locations want 101 percent. Direct
sales. Home games cost half of
what | have to pay for coin-op pins.
Home video games that kill what |
have left in my older coin-op video
games, and sky-high local licenses.”’

Interestingly, sky-high local li-
censes and concern about the
image of the industry ranked very
low among operator concerns. It
seems that the operator is more
concerned with the day-to-day
bread-and-butter worries of the
industry rather than the problems
outside of the industry. This attitude
may possibly explain why many
operators are not joining their trade
associations, which focus in on
unfair taxes and a good industry
image.

PRICING AND FREE PLAYS

Mr. Average still has his pin
games set on five balls per play, two
plays per quarter, though he’s
beginning to show signs of moving
toward two games at three-ball
play. His phonographs are all set on
two plays for a quarter, though a
few operators still have three plays
for a quarter.

And only eight percent of his
games are set on fifty-cent play,
though 13 percent of his operation is
pool tables and air hockey tables
(prime candidates for fifty-cent
play).

The free play on pin games
averages nationwide at between 30
and 35 percent of the total playing
time on the machines. And the
second largest ratio of free plays to
total plays is in the 30-percent-and-
below category. Also, an estimated
14 percent of the operators operate
add-a-ball features rather than free
plays.

Mr. Average buys 3.24 records for
each of his 50 jukeboxes (though no
one yet has been able to explain
how he buys .24 of a record). The
breakdown of the music in his
phonographs is as follows: rock, 48
percent; country, 25 percent; easy
listening, 12 percent; rhythm and
blues, 11 percent; and other types,
four percent.

GAME BREAKDOWN

Of the 200 machines he owns, 66
are pinball machines, 50 are phono-

November, 1977, PLAY METER

graphs, 30 are arcade pieces, 24 are
pool tables, 10 are foosball tables,
four are wall games, four are shuffle
alleys, and two are air hockey
tables.

Of those thirty arcade pieces of
his, twenty are solid state, and the
other ten are electro-mechanical.
Only one out of every ten of his
phonographs is new.

As far as his earnings for each
game, the phonographs are still at
the top of the heap, with an average
earning of $46 per week. Pinball
machines and arcade pieces gross
just a little less than that, $44. Pool
tables are steady earners at $41,
foosball tables are at $39, wall
games at $33 per week, and shuffle
alleys take in $29.

BUYING NEW EQUIPMENT

Mr. Average bought nine new
video games this year, 13 new
pinball games, five new phono-
graphs, five new foosball tables,
three new non-video arcade pieces,
and two other amusement pieces. In
addition, he bought six used
phonographs and 13 used games.

Although Mr. Average complains
about the high cost of new games,
he considers that of secondary
importance when he is_ buying.
What concerns him most of. all
when he goes shopping for new
equipment is the distributor's repair
service, how good is it?

Price is only his second consider-
ation, and then only barely, because
the value-conscious operators have
rated as almost equal the price of
the game and the distributor’s parts
department. In fact, out of more
than 900 votes cast on this topic,
the difference was only one vote.

The manufacturers that a particu-
lar distributor represents was also an
important consideration, but it was
not as high as the top three— a good
repair service, the price, and a
dependable parts department.

Mr. Average says he is indifferent
to sales personnel, the location of
the distributor, and the distributor's
word on what to buy and what to
avoid.

And Mr. Average doesn’t seem to
care at all about how the games look
on the distributor’s showroom floor
or what are the distributor's financ-
ing terms.

FAVORITE MANUFACTURERS
His favorite manufacturers are

Seeburg for phonographs, Bally for

pinballs, Atari for video games,

Midway for non-video arcade
games, Valley for pool tables,
Tournament Soccer for foosball

tables, Williams for shuffle alleys,
and Gremlin for wall games.

Play Meter Poll Results

% Total

Equip.
Pinball 33%
Phonographs 25%
Arcade Pieces 15%
Pool 12%
Foosball 5%
Wall Games 2%
Shuffleboards 2%
Air Hockey 1%
Others 5%

*Not computed

Pricing All Games

2/25 cents

25 cents

Pricing Phonographs

3/25 cents

2/25 cents
90%

25 cents
4%

Breakdown of Arcade Equipment

Electro-
Mechanical \

35%

Avg. No.
Pieces

Weekly New
Gross’ Purchases

$44 13

$46 5

$44 12

$41 *

$39 5

$33 1

$29 1

PREFERRED MANUFACTURERS

Gremlin
All Others

Williams
Chicago Coin
All Others

Seeburg
Rock-Ola
Rowe-Ami
All Others

Bally
Gottlieb
Williams
All Others

Atari
Midway
All Others

Midway
Chicago Coin
All Others

Valley

U.S. Billiards
U.B.I.

Irving Kaye
Dynamo
American
Fischer

All Others

Wall Games
89%
11%

Shuffle Alleys
74%

20%

Phonographs
38%

29%

28%

Pinball
53%
23%
22%

Video Games
59%
31%
10%

Non-Video Arcade
56%
25%
19%

Pool Tables
57%

10%

Foosball Tables

Tournament Soccer 31%
Dynamo 27%
Deutsche Meister 13%
Mirco 9%
Garlando 7%
Rene Pierre 7%
Irving Kaye 3%
All Others 3%

PINBALL

3-Ball v.s. 5-Ball
5-Ball
59%
3-Ball
41%

NEW PHONOGRAPH
PURCHASES

Bought More
60%

Bought Same
6%

Bought Less
34%

NEW GAME
PURCHASES

Bought More
69%

Bought Same
4%

Bought Less
27%

ELECTROMECHANICAL
VERSUS SOLID STATE

Preference For

Earnings
Solid State
65%
Electro-Mechanical
35%
Preference
For
Service

Electro-Mechanical
54%

Solid State
46%

Montreal’s squeaky:
clean image

The Association of Family Enter-
tainment Centres, which groups ten
of Montreal’s largest companies
specializing in coin-operated amuse-
ment machines, has been granted
letters of patent by the Department
of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
in Ottawa. And as its first public
action, the AFEC will engage in
self-policing to insure that its
member-centers—and, if possible,
the industry as a whole—observe
wholesome standards of operation.

Gerard Blanchette, chairman of
the board of the association, said
that while association members now
represent roughly one-seventh of all
Montreal amusement center opera-
tors, they, in fact, control 58 centers
and some 3,325 machines— roughly
20 percent of the overall amusement
machine business in Montreal.

“With a growing number of
amusement centers now opening in
Montreal, we feel it is the duty of
the industry itself to guard against
fly-by-night activities which might
be harmful to the community and
which would reflect on all of us,”
Blanchette declared.

Various Montreal newspapers
have carried major articles in recent
months about the resurgence of
coin-operated amusement = ma-
chines. The Montreal Star, for
example, carried a full-page feature
in February which headlined the
‘’squeaky-clean image’”’ of the fami-
ly entertainment centers.

“They are clean, well-lit, intoler-
ant of loiterers,’’ added The Star.

La Presse, in a similar full-page
feature last year, proclaimed: ‘For
those over 30 years of age, the
invasion recalls good old memo-
ries.’

Also, the Ottawa grandfather of
nine wrote The Gazette to say that
amusement centers are ‘’an asset to
the community and by far the safest
place for teenagers to be, off the
streets and having clean fun with

their friends. And their parents
know where they are.
“Today's pinball is a_ highly

engineered piece of equipment that
helps youth coordinate their re-
flexes, relieves their tension and
boredom, and keeps their minds off
ways to get into trouble,’’ wrote the
man.

Le Journal de Montreal, for its
part, reported that the amusement
machines are ‘increasingly rallying
to their cause the passionate love of

numerous recruits.”

Harvey Fitleberg, president of the
Association of Family Entertainment
Centres, said its members together
employ some 225 persons, including
a sizeable number of pensioners.
The total annual payroll amounts to
almost $1.7 million.

In various taxes, the Association's
members pay nearly $5 million a
year to the three levels of govern-
ment. The federal government
collects duties on the machines—
the machines held by association
members are valued at $4 million—
as well as 12 percent sales tax and
corporate income tax for a total of
$1.9 million. The Quebec take from
association members is’ roughly
$658,400, consisting of the eight
percent sales tax and $255,600 in
corporate income tax. The munici-
pal share totals $2,235,400, repre-
senting permits and business and
water taxes.

Each amusement center whose
owner is a member of the associa-
tion displays a decal which acknowl-
edges the association’s ‘‘responsi-
bility to the public.”’

Among those ethical standards
adopted by the association, each
member pledges to: conduct him-
self in accordance with the public
interest; support efforts designed to
enhance the contribution of the
industry; be guided in his activities
by the generally accepted standards
of good taste and fair dealing;
denounce any activity within the
industry which tends to denigrate
amusement centers as a whole; take
an active interest in the civic, social
and moral welfare of the communi-
ty; maintain clean, well-illuminated
premises; engage only mature,
qualified employees of good reputa-
tion; insure his equipment is in good
operating condition; correct
promptly any justifiable complaint,
whether it involve staff or equip-
ment; adhere faithfully to provisions
of the Association’s Code of Ethics;
and cooperate with fellow-members
in upholding and enforcing the
code.

Members of the Association are
directly involved in a number of
other businesses, including real
estate, amusement rides, electron-
ics, retailing, restaurants, etc.

Directors of the Association, in
addition to Blanchette and Fitle-
berg, are Jack Lerner, Louis Zucker-
man, and Marvin Tanner.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

ATARI

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EMIS

ESCITEALNT

Can be found throughout the world at these
fine distributorships:

UNITED STATES:

Active Amusement
Philadelphia, PA
Advance Automatic
San Francisco, CA
Advance Distributing
St. Louis, MO

All Coin Equipment
San Antonio, TX
Atlas Novelty
Pittsburgh, PA
Belam, Florida
Miami, FL

Bilotta Distributing
Newark, NY

Bilotta Enterprises
Newark, NY

Birmingham Vending
Birmingham, AL
Brady Distributing
Charlotte, NC

Central Distributing
Omaha, NB

Cleveland Coin
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH

Coin Machine Dist.
Peekskill, NY
Commercial Music
Dallas, TX
Continental Divide
Denver, CO

Culp Distributing
Oklahoma City, OK
Dunis Distributing
Portland, OR
Empire Distributing
Chicago, IL

Detroit, MI

Grand Rapids, MI
Green Bay, WI
Indianapolis, IN

H. A. Franz & Co.
Houston, TX
Godwin Distributing
North Little Rock, AR
Greater Southern
Atlanta, GA

Lew Jones Dist.
Indianapolis, IN
Lieberman Music
Minneapolis, MN
Litsey Distributing
Louisville, KY

S. L. London
Milwaukee, WI

Now proudly shipping

ROBOS BOWL

Lovell Company
Albuquerque, NM
Lubbock, TX

McKee Distributing
Portland, OR

Monroe Distributing
Cleveland, OH
Dayton, OH

Music Vend

Seattle, WA

New Orleans Novelty
New Orleans, LA

Peach State
Atlanta, GA

Philip Moss & Co.
Des Moines, IO
Kansas City, MO
Omaha, N

Robert Jones Int.
Dedham, MS
Syracuse, NY

C. A. Robinson & Co.

Los Angeles, CA
Roth Novelty
Wilkes Barre, PA
Royal Distributing
Cincinnati, OH
Runyon Sales
Springfield, NJ

New York, NY
S&H Distributing
Shreveport, LA
Sanders Distributing
Nashville, TN
Southern Music
Orlando, FL

State Music

Dallas, TX

Struve Distributing
Salt Lake City, UT

CANADA:

Alouette Amusement
Montreal, Que.

New Way Sales
Toronto, Ont.

Rowe International
Burnaby, B.C.

Dorval, Que.

Malton, Ont.

EXPORT:

R. H. Belam
New York, NY

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surprises
at the

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Booths 44, 45, 46, 47

Conrad Hilton
Chicago
Oct. 28-30, 1977

in upright and cocktail table models

EXIDY, INC.

2599 Garcia Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043

Phone: (415) 968-7670

Telex: 348-329

Captain Fantastic, Sea Wolftop poll

Play Meter has determined that
Bally’s Captain Fantastic was the
top earning pinball game for opera-
tors over the past twelve months,
and Midway’s Sea Wolf was the top
earner among the video/arcade/
novelty games.

Play Meter’s evaluations come
after an extensive survey (see
related story) which, among other
things, asked operators to list
according to earnings their top three
pinball games and their top three
video/arcade/novelty pieces.

The final tabulations also provid-
ed Play Meter with its first opportu-
nity to evaluate the ratings of its
fearless pinball critic, Roger C.
Sharpe, who has been rating pinball
games for Play Meter since July,
1976. And the returns indicate he
did well.

His rating system awards #### for
an excellent game, ### for a good
game, ## for an average game, and
# for a fair game.

Only two of the top ten games
were not reviewed by the Play Meter
critic, Bally's Wizard and Williams’
Space Mission/Space Odyssey; and
that was because those two games
made their debut before Roger
started rating games for Play
Meter’s readers.

To date, he has given an average
rating (##) to 22 of the 48 games he
has reviewed, and only one of those
games made it to the top ten. The
rest of the top earning games were
also top-rated games.

It should be noted that the one
average-rated game which made it
to the top ten was Williams’ Aztec.
When Roger Sharpe gave the game
its ##% rating, he wrote that he
subtracted a %-point because he
didn’t like the artwork. So much for
Roger Sharpe, art critic.

A complete list of Roger’s ratings
is as follows (games listed as
unrated predated Roger’s column
with Play Meter); Captain Fantastic,
#H##H#; Night Rider, ###%: Evel
Knievel, ####; Space Mission/
Space Odyssey, unrated; Aztec,
## %; Royal Flush/Card Whiz, ###:
Grand Prix, ###%; Freedom, ### %;
Wizard, unrated; Jacks Open, ####;
Target Alpha/Solar City, ####; Surf
Champ/Surfer, ###%: Bow and
Arrow, unrated; Old Chicago, ##%;
Aladdin's Castle, ###%; Blue Chip,
##'2; Volley, unrated; Ship Ahoy/
Buccaneer, ##%; The Atarians, ##;:
and Gold Strike/El Dorado, unrated.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Top pin games

fn @r-] 0) ¢-] a ar-] alt= |-) elem @of-1/14)

. Night Rider (Ba//y)

. Evel Knievel (Ba//y)

. Space Mission/Space Odyssey
(Williams)

. Aztec (Williams)

. Royal Flush/Card Whiz
(Gottlieb)

. Grand Prix (Williams)

. Freedom (Ba/ly)

Mee A'A4-1 00 MW 1-1/4)

mare y= (01,48 ©) 01-10 a Clayed//-y6))

. Target Alpha/Solar City
(Gottlieb)

. Surf Champ/Surfer (Gottlieb)

. Bow and Arrow (Bally)

fs ©) (0 @t al lor-le eM U>1-1/4%4)

. Aladdin’s Castle (Ba//y)

. Blue Chip (Wi/liams)

. Volley (Gettlieb)

. Ship Ahoy/ Buccaneer
(Gottlieb)

. (tie) The Atarians (Atari)

Gold Strike/El Dorado
evel ae/{-16))

Others mentioned (in alphabetical
o}ge[=]am oh amaat-lalehiclon del a-ak
VAY /[{-10 eee Malelave(=igele))t
Bally—Hokus Pokus, Flip Flop,
Flicker, Hang Glider
Chicage Coin—Cinema/ Hollywood,
Jukebox
Gottlieb—Big Hit, Jungle Queen/
Jungle Princess, Bronco
Mustang, Spirit of ‘76,
Soccer, Pro Pool, Fast
Draw, Pioneer

_ Playmatic— Speakeasy, Fiesta,

PAN oF [eal
Segasa— Prospector, Super
NS) dg-](e] a) om Or-lalalcicwmm li Lelalelere)
Stern— Rawhide/ Stampede
Willlams— Liberty Bell, Big Deal,
Little Chief, Satin Doll,
MUlel avaiat-lale,

Top arcade games

. Sea Wolf (Midway)

. Sprint-2 (Atari)

. Breakout (Atar/)

. Le Mans (Atari)

. Gunfight (Midway)

Night Driver (Atar/)

. Death Race (Exidy)

. Tornado Baseball (Midway)

. 280Z2ZZ — AP (Midway)

nbd) m=] (0101.4<[0 1-1 e-¢0)//4))

Indy 4 (Atari)

. F-1 (Namce)

. Stunt Cycle (Atari)

. Boot Hill (Midway)

. Tank Il (Atari)

fn DY- Waco) at- nol 0, ON -1///-1¢ ma MAY? / 42)

. Shooting Trainer (Nintendo)

. Road Runner (Midway)

. Hit Me (Ramtek)

. (tie) Hustle (Gremlin)
Flying Fortress
Games)

Bazooka Gun (P.S.E.)
Junk Yard (American)

SOMDNAMARWNH—

pe ee ee a ee |
OO CONDO W PY

NO
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(Electra

Others mentioned (in alphabetical
ol ge (simu oh’amoat-lalent-leacelacian
Allied Leisure—F-114
Atari—Sprint 8, Steeple Chase,
Triple Hunt, Drag Race,
BTeyaatiatess
(Of eT[or-To[ommm OF 6)/¢ keen @1=1 0010) |1410)0 mm O1-18 0)'a
ii c-]emeyarele)
Exidy— Car Polo
Gremlin—CoMotion, Play Ball
Meadows — Bonkers, Bombs Away,
mileamm (clan
Midway — Checkmate, Maze
Mirco —21
Ramtek— Barricade, Trivia Quiz
Sega—Plinker’s Canyon
U.S. Billiaards—\ideo Pool

Editor's Note: Critics of the critic
take heed. Though “’Critic’s Corner’
j[Ulefel=XM cal-mer-laat-iom-lorere) cel iave ico me cal=y1i
play appeal, there seems to be a
close relation between the ratings
and the game’s earnings potential.
Play Meter’s own rating of its critic’s
first full-year performance is ###%.

There’s

gele)anmmn ie)

improvement,

Roger, but over all a fine effort. Be

well and prosper.

Transl

The coin industry’s once-a-year
showcase is here. But instead of the
usual preview—with references to
this being ‘the biggest show ever’
(which it is) and of this being the
most exciting show yet (which it
probably will be)—what should
distinguish the 1977 show from all
the previous shows is that it will
feflect more than ever before an
industry in transition.

The 1977 AMOA show (which in
years to come may become known
as the “Transition Show’’) should
establish, finally, that solid state not
only has a place in the coin-op
industry but that it might well be its
future.

As proof, it seems that almost
everyone is coming out with solid
state equipment this time around.
Jukeboxes have been solid state for
some time, and video equipment is,
of course, on the increase. Play
Meter’s survey (elsewhere in this
issue) shows that in the average
American route operation 65 per-
cent of all the arcade pieces are solid
state video games.

And now even pinball, the old
electro-mechanical stand-by, seems
to have gone the way of the others.
All major American manufacturers
will be displaying solid state games
at this year’s show. For Bally and
Atari, that’s nothing new. But
Gottlieb, Williams, and Stern will
also be on hand with solid state
pinball games. And the word is
some foreign manufacturers might
surprise a few people with some
solid state entries of their own.
Intrigue is in the air.

What to look for?

Bally won’t be content with
displaying its latest solid state
pinball game, Eight Ball. Look for
Bigfoot of NBC-TV fame, to make
an appearance at the show. Bigfoot
is presently being billed as the
world’s largest pinball and may be
Bally's next effort.

Gottlieb’s historic solid state
effort will be Cleopatra, a four-
player game. It’s historic for two
reasons. It’s Gottlieb’s first solid
state game, of course; but it’s also
Gottlieb’s first appearance at the
AMOA show.

Williams also will unveil its first
solid state pinball, and in addition
will be featuring after a long wait
another arcade piece, this one a

a
H
H
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H
4
ts
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ee

video game called Road Champion.

Stern will re-introduce its four-
player pinball game, Pinball, this
time in a solid state configuration.

And Atari has come out with its
best effort yet in the pinball market.
Atari’s four-player game, Airborne
Avenger, should be attracting more
than its share of attention at this
year’s show. We also understand a
real life magic show will be featured
in the expanded Atari booth this
year.

As far as phonographs, Rowe-
AMI, the solid state latecomer,
seems to have added an interesting
twist of its own. Besides an entirely
new cabinet design, Rowe’s box
comes equipped with a unique solid
state popularity meter that gives an
accurate measure of record selec-
tion. It enables the operator to
measure accurately his overplay.
The digital readout gives’ the
operator an accurate readout of
how many times each record has
been selected. A simple touch of the
button does it.

And look for NSM’s latest, a
jukebox which will be controlled by
a central microprocessor. Wurlitzer
will have its usual variety of phonos
including a ten-button solid state
100-selection phono, and a unique
compact juke that plays casette
tapes. |

In arcade equipment, Midway will
be showing its Laguna Racer and
two other new games which are
sure to delight the convention-goer.
Laguna Racer, we understand, is an
improved version of Midway’s ear-
lier success, Wheels. Meadows will
be displaying its new upright
bowling game; and take a look-see
at Exidy’s latest product, Super
Death Chase, an obvious sequel to
the notorious Death Race.

Mirco will unveil its Formula M
Vrooom which is believed to be the
first sitdown video driving cocktail
game. Allied Leisure will be showing
its new non-video electro-mechani-
cal sitdown projection target game,
which is an updated version of its
former winner, Rapid Fire. Other
things to be on the lookout for
include Cinematronics’ Space Wars
game and Elcon Industries’ Magic
Trolley (an arcade on wheels), and a
new electro-mechanical arcade
piece by Americoin, makers of last
year’s success Junkyard.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

And U.S. Billiards will be there
with a new two-player video game
called Space Battle. U.S. Billiards
will also be introducing Silver Falls,
a hybrid arcade piece that is a
non-video penny falls-type game. In

ae ape : : +. * e hopper
addition, U.S. Billiards will also . payout Oni
preview a new lock cash box at the .
how currencies
. . served

It's not enough to say that this
year’s show will be the biggest ever.
By comparison, last year’s ‘’biggest
ever’ show had a total square
footage of 53,781. This year that
figure is 78,635. Three large rooms
have been reserved for the exhibi-
tion—the East Room and the West
Room on the lower level and the
Continental Room, which is one
level up from the West Room by
escalator. The Continental Room
will be the scene of special activity
including AMOA service booths for
mechanic training, consultation on
tournaments, arcades, manage-
ment, plus scheduled audio-visual
presentations on the industry. And
there will be a registration room in
the North Room of the Conrad
Hilton Hotel.

There will be two entrances to the
exposition, one into the East Room
on the lower level and another into
the Continental Room on_ the
second (or lobby) level.

There will be a ladies luncheon
the first day of the show in the
Normandie Lounge. Mrs. _ Irene
Hughes, internationally-known psy-
chic, will address the luncheon. This
most unusual lady has put her
psychic talents to wide use by
helping police solve a great number
of crimes, including baffling murder
cases. Her predictions of well-
known major events have been
amazingly accurate.

The opening days of the conven-
tion will also feature an industry
seminar. Notre Dame _ associate
dean of graduate study, Dr. John
Malone, has been engaged by the

exposition seminar committee to THE 1977 BELL RINGER SPECIAL
address this year’s seminar. His is NOW IN PROGRESS!

topic will be ‘’Salesmanship: The
Road to New Business Develop-

ment.”’
Hospitality suites will be open Unheard of bargains on all your favorite

Friday evening, and the _ exhibit billiard and amusement supplies.
hours will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The second day of the show will | 800-255-4368

feature a general membership meet- Toll Free Except Kansas

| : : Inc.
Coin Control Units Available Exclusively from jee es

ing at 11:30 a.m. Hospitality suites
will again be open in the evening EEX
and the exhibit hours will run from VENGUARD Accessory-Supply Dept
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. . :
The final day of the show will | CY ® 10500 Barkley
feature a gala banquet and a stage Overland Park, Kansas 66212
show (see related story). Exhibit 913/341-1300
hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PLAY METER, November, 1977 27

Amazing Memory & Recall

MAKES

(scly. EIGHT ©B8ALL

greatest pinball pool table in history

CONVERTIBLE To ADD-A-BALL

Ask Your Distributor

Solid or Striped Ball
Competition

Be Price Wise!
1 PLAY
1 QUARTER
3-BALLS PLAY

See Distributor or write (lly 2640 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

he 1977 AMOA

T
F Exhibitor List

PIPE LY o eies ete waddendseeediaesesieues C-13
P.O. Box 1826, Sparks, Nevada 89431
(702) 358-1260

AICO BGs. 0cckose waves keudkweeeesentaeees 12-A
6212 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Illinois 60053
(312) 965-1500

ADVERTISING POSTERS CO. .............. 51-52
1500 North Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622
(312) 642-1300

ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURE

Sy SLES Web ohh ec ceeds bee ees ches cheees 85-86

501 Water Street, Suite A, Port Huron, Michigan 48060
(313) 987-7400

ALLIED LEISURE INDUSTRIES, INC.....P-13 & 14
245 West 74th Place, Hialeah, Florida 33014
(305) 558-5200

AMERICAN HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS ..... 70-A
3708 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas 75214
(214) 823-1131

AMERICAN SHUFFLEBOARD CO., INC. .. 126-129
210 Paterson Plank Rd., Union City, New Jersey 07087
(201) 865-6633

PANE CAIN idee ian etenda ke oan cones 1&1-A
700 Virginia Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204
(414) 272-4323

AMUSEMENT ELECTRONICS SERVICE....... C-9
6900 Okechobee Blvd., W. Palm Beach, Fla. 33411
(305) 686-1600

AMUTECH LID. .5i+é40scstenadeneedeeows C-52-54
150 Bellam Blvd. #230, San Rafael, California 94901
(415) 457-7313

Mali

The Henry W.T. Mali & Co. Inc
25/ Park Ave. South

New York, NY 10010

(212) 475-45 60

Toll Free: (800) 223-6468

PLAY METER, November, 1977

ARUAC, UNGs (6cksenereendenesieebasceas 114-115
4860 East 345th Street, Willoughby, Ohio 44094
(216) 951-3440

ARKUSH ELECTRONICS INC................ C-33
305 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, California 95050
(408) 988-3773

ARROW INTERNATIONAL CO................. 82
4909 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102
(216) 961-3500

ALTARL ING. cb scndeeasenedavecusavs 16-23 & 26-33
1265 Borregas Ave., Box 9027, Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086
(408) 745-2500

AUTOMATIC PRODUCTS COMPANY ..... 101-102
75 West Plato Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55107
(612) 224-4391

AUTO-PHOTO COMPANY ................ C-7&8
350 Lear Avenue, Costa Mesa, California 92626
(714) 540-8082

BALLY MANUFACTURING CO............ 146-150
2640 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60618
(312) 267-6060

R.H. BELAM COMPANY, INC. ...... 187A-187-188
51 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10010
(212) 689-5633

BRUNSWICK CORPORATION,
BRIARWOOD DIVISION............ 64-66 & 73-75
One Brunswick Plaza, Skokie, Illinois 60076
(312) 982-6000

CEB INDUSTRIES, INC. .................... C-62
P.O. Box 831, Hawthorne, California 90250
(213) 644-2291

Billiard Cloth

Style 820—Plain, Style 920—Backed

Fabrics developed specifically for
coin-operated tables.

Available through your distributor.

JOHN W,CALER occecccsccdsane dentessawadus C-77
7506 Clybourn Avenue, Sun Valley, California 91352
(213) 765-1210 (213) 789-3741

CALIFORNIA COMPUTER GAMES....... C-748&75
6325 DeSoto, Woodland Hills, California 91367
(213) 703-0465

CAROUSEL INTERNATIONAL CORP........ 24-25
P.O. Box 307, Eldon, Missouri 65026
(314) 392-7122

CHAMPION BILLIARDS, INC. ............... C-12
900 Andre Street, Bay City, Michigan 48706
(517) 686-4000

CINEMATRONICS INC.................. C-588&59
1044 Pioneer Way, Suite B, El Cajon, California 92020
(714) 440-2933
COIN ACCEPTORS, INC................. C-50&51

4946 Daggett Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
(314) 664-5550

COIN MECHANISMSINC. ................... 132
817 Industrial Drive, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
(312) 279-9150

CORPORACION SONATA, S.A. ............. C-79
Carretera Mex. Pachuca, KM. 52, Tizayuca,
Hidalgo, Mexico
(771) 62139/40/41

COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL RECORDS ..... P-10
315 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019
(212) 581-5516

D & RINDUSTRIES,INC................... P-1&2
7111 North Capitol Drive, Lincolnwood, Illinois 60645
(312) 677-3200

DEUTSCHE WURLITZER GMBH .............. P-9
Wurlitzerstrabe 6, Hullhorst, Germany NRW 4971
05744-1001
DIVERSE PRODUCTS INC................ 116-117

198 River St., Box 727, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
(201) 842-7554

DYNAMO CORPORATION................ W-1W6
1805 South Great Southwest Pkwy.,
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
(214) 641-4286

EBONITE CORPORATION
BILLIARD AND GAME DIVISION 109-1108121-122
14000 NW 57 Court, Miami Lakes, Florida 33014
(305) 821-0150

ELCON INDUSTRIES .................... C-27-29
3285 Hilton Road, Ferndale, Michigan 48220
(313) 543-6373

EMPIRE DISTRIBUTING, INC............. 154-157
120 South Sangamon Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 421-5200

Columbia Pictures Industries Company
165 W. Lake Street - Northlake, Illinois 60164 Phone: 312/562-7400 Telex: 72-8463

~~
pS

November, 1977, PLAY METER

BING: ccaeecswinsedceuercoustausuusex 44-47
2599 Garcia Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043
(415) 968-7670

FISCHER, DIVISION OF QUESTOR . . 13-15&34-36
P.O. Box 50, California, Missouri 65018
(314) 796-3116

J.F. FRANTZ MFG. CO. .................. 191-193
1936 West Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612
(312) 829-2399

D. GOTTLIEB & COMPANY ................ C-81-86
165 West Lake Street, Northlake, Illinois 60164
(312) 562-7400

GREMLIN INDUSTRIES, INC......... 70-72&88-90
8401 Aero Drive, San Diego, California 92123
(714) 277-8700

H.C.E. MFG, & DIST. CO., INC... oc cece vcecaes 186
P.O. Box 340, Madison, Mississippi 39110
(601) 856-8874

THE HOME FUN COMPANY .............. C-37-40
5710 Des Plaines Place, Gurnee, Illinois 60031
(312) Just Dial: PINBALL

IMPERIAL BILLIARD INDUSTRIES.......... 48-49
550 Industrial Road, Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072
(201) 935-9330

min

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-525-8078
i R@eltel Tis oka Viele |. imaeltl ia

PIII KKK IKK KK KKKKKKKKK

YY OO

PLAY METER, November, 1977

INTERF LIP SAio cc ok ho bob vee beasdawensees C-41
Rufino Gonzalez, 25, Madrid-17, Spain
204 99 10

INTERNATIONAL BILLIARD CORPORATION
OF NEW JERSEY si.icraseccastoets tpeeees C-15-16
1216-42 South Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07062
(201) 757-6950

INTERNATIONAL BILLIARDS, INC............ C-6
2311 Washington, Box 7693, Houston, Texas 77007 ©
(713) 869-1524, (800) 392-2209 (Texas

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO SYSTEMS CORP. ..C-30
6949 Washington Avenue South, Edina, Minn. 55436
(612) 941-6655

J-S SALES COMPANY, INC................. 40-41
24 South Third Avenue, Mt. Vernon, New York 10550
(212) 324-3830, (914) 668-8051

IRVING KAYE COMPANY, INC. .......... 158-165
48 Union Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06906
(203) 348-1800

KEY INDUSTRIES LTD................... C-10-11
8821 SE 17th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97202
(503) 231-5664

LOEWEN AUTOMATEN GMBH & CO.KG ..... P-7
Im Tiergarten 20-30, P.O. Box 168,
6530 Bingen/Rhein, Western Germany
(6721) 15202

ipQa0 9.9. 9.9.9.0. 9.0.9. 2.0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 6 6 0 6 oo oo oo 4

VAKEKLOOK |
AT THIS!

Our NEW 250 page Catalog
of Billiard and Coin Machine
Parts is now available. To receive
your free copy, Call TOLL FREE
1-800-525-8078

In Colorado Call 751-4851 Collect.

Same Day Shipment
Guaranteed.

Open Saturdays

For Your Convenience.

2075 so. valentia st.
denver, colo. 80231

AMVDKMAN,

Se EMPORIVM 7

Div. of Excelsior Enterprises, Inc.

Orcas

FLOOR PLANS FOR AMOA’S 1977 INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION

AMUSEMENT

& MUSIC

OF GAMES AND MUSIC AYN
A 4 CONRAD HILTON HOTEL, CHICAGO SSS
OCTOBER 28-29-30

SUMMARY SPONSOR:

Amusement and Music Operators Association
WHAT: 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601
1977 AMOA International Exposition and Trade Show (312) 726-2810

WHERE: Contact: Fred M. Granger, Exhibit Manager

East, West and Continental Rooms, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

ATTENDANCE:

WHEN:
Over 5,000, including delegations from 25 foreign countries.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, October 28-29-30, 1977

ExMAUST VERT a

7 oF

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a _imcaint
. Jester lesleelorles ollodeuk

Croce
exferenicafenlcaen

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cafeadeaaleslestiesfess : om

edealceessjestesles
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edeaaleeealeales

EscaiAree comes
Ur Frem Weor
> Fanibir Hann

REGISTRATION

senferlestenfenlented = ve
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Fil -pohokslekokekete) “fy:
a eolotetotekekelce (T= | _°

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TPE | oorapaeeapacol ae FEE

All Booths 1OXIO Uniess Otherwise Inaicoted Ss e

CONTINENTAL ROOM

LOWER LEVEL
LOBBY

SuPeim, = 800u

6'-8" CEILING HEIGHT

— A
MT Te ae ce ee
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Fan

Fa iS lk

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~

alt] sA ey 94 Aad] od|oFlod oot dla? au » “Puy ee |e ArzkciA _

WEST ROOM LOWER LEVEL : Ot EAST ROOM
All booths 10' x 10' except where noted. aaa tl booths 1OxlO except where noted. ~————S
CONRAD HILTON HOTEL

Cricoge, ILL

32 November, 1977, PLAY METER

® a i
Segasa “db.a.” SONIC is pleased to introduce

2 2 2 3 2
7

+ ~.
Piha oN

XA»

OHO000

. tae 3 pep ap targets secmed Sime Rights EETEA BALL bene
. the 3 pep op larprte thire thee Nights SPECIAL tenes ant

Distributor:

CITT ERALY 2-100

Playing features:

e Hitting the 3 pop up targets first time lights DOUBLE
BONUS lane and B-U-T rollovers.

e Hitting the 3 pop up targets second time lights
EXTRA BALL lane and T-E-R rollovers.

e Hitting the 3 pop up targets third time lights
SPECIAL lanes and F-L-Y rollovers.

Optional feature when hitting pop up targets a
fourth time to give replay directly.

ADJUSTABLE FOR 3 or 5 BALL PLAY
REPLAY or EXTRA BALL

6 DIGIT SCORE UNITS - MATCH FEATURE
POLYURETHENE PLAYFIELD

Instructions Manual with each Game Place your orde,
now thru your closest distributor.

ES sonic

Manufactured by - Fabricado por: SEGASA “‘d.b.a.”’, Sonic
Apartado, 16117 - MADRID (Spain)

Telephone: 232 66 40

Cable Address: SEGASTAR

MEADOWS GAMES INC............ 37-38 & 57-58
181 Commercial Street, Sunnyvale, California 94086
(408) 732-8110

MIRCO-MAGNETIC INDUSTRIES, INC. ....... P-4
981 Commercial Street, Palo Alto, California 94303
(415) 321-5520

MIDWAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY.. 151-153
10750 Grand Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131
(312) 451-1360

MIDWEST COIN MACHINE, INC............. C-34
36367 Groesbeck, Mt. Clemens, Michigan 48043
(313) 792-1850

MILL CHEMICAL COMPANY .................. 69
103 Diggs Avenue, Milbank, South Dakota 57252
(605) 432-6785

MIRACLE RECREATION EQUIPMENT CO. . . 67-68
P.O. Box 275, Grinnell, lowa 50112
(515) 236-7536

MIRCO INCORPORATED ................ 133-135
10888 North 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85029
(602) 997-5931
MOBILE RECORD SERVICE CO. ...... 186A-186B

2716 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
(412) 391-8182

NATIONAL VENDORS................... 130-131
5055 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri 63115
(314) 383-3000

NEVADA GAMING SCHOOLS ................. 87
3100 Sirius Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
(702) 873-2345

NU-LOOK PRODUCTS...................... C-14
P.O. Box 6255, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136
(215) OR 3-3355

Oy Dy. oxede mane eaesewseeueedastouivebes 5-6
2522 Irving Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75207
(214) 630-8004

OIG Se Pets beeeesatneeeuly deeereseauens 9-10
Via Masetti, 56 4100 Ganaceto— Modena, Italy
(059) 386042
PEABODY SING is cs sasvcdnnencvessxdaises 11-12

P.O. Box 163, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23458
(804) 422-2900

PENN-RAY INTERNATIONAL CORP. ..... 112-113
1705 Winchester Road, P.O. Box 390
(215) 638-4720

PHOTO MACHINE CO. OF CHICAGO. . C-63&C-78
625 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 642-6684

" ELECTRONIC
=, AMUSEMENT

SERVICE

The Repair Center for the Games Industry

EAS is a complete service agency organized to help the video games operator and distributor solve
the service problems that plague many of today’s sophisticated electronic games. EAS provides

you with:

e a fast, reliable, and inexpensive alternative
to buying expensive test equipment.

e =the /atest in testing equipment.

e experienced technicians.

e athorough repair and testing of all logic
boards (including microprocessor circuits).

e a 24 hour turnaround on video logic boards
and monitors.
Looking forward to serving you,
Bill Bolton, President
_ a) _ ELECTRONIC
[~ —, —, AMUSEMENT
Lot J_ISERVICE

modification of older equipment for better
play appeal, dependability, and pricing
versatility.

a 60 day warranty program on all work.

personalized service and customer
follow-up.

free telephone consulting on chronic
service problems — we are here to help you
at any time.

1555 Minnesota Street ¢ San Francisco, California ¢ 94107 ¢ 415-282-9900

PLAY METER, November, 1977

PLATT LUGGAGE, INC, .occcecvivsxecesesasuens 39
2301 South Prairie Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60616
(312) 225-6670

PLAY MASTER, INC................. 62-638&76-77
5909 Paris Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201
(314) 474-8591
PLAY METER MAGAZINE ................... C-57

P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, Louisiana 70184
(504) 827-0320

POLAND MANUFACTURING CO., INC. ... 189-190
P.O. Box 1168, Forrest City, Arkansas 72335
(501) 633-2205

POLAROID CORPORATION................. C-80
549 Technology Square, Cambridge, Mass. 02139
(617) 864-6000

PROJECT SUPPORT ENG.,INC...... 2-4&C-68-73
750 North Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94086
(408) 739-8550

RAMTEK CORPORATION.......... C31-32&45-46
292 Commercial St., Sunnyvale, California 94086
(408) 738-4422, (800) 538-1733

REDONDO GAMES INC....................- C-44
123 So. Harbor Dr., Redondo Beach, California 90277
(213) 379-8510

R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO............. 53-54
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102
(919) 748-7417

ROCK-OLA MANUFACTURING CORP......... P-8
800 North Kedzie Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60651
(312) 638-7600

ROVI CARTOON THEATRES CORP.......... C-35
485 Madison Ave., Suite 1910, N.Y., N.Y. 10022
(212) 753-0698

ROWE INTERNATIONAL, INC. ............... P-5
75 Troy Hills Road, Whippany, New Jersey 07981
(201) 887-0400

SAFEGUARD COIN BOX..................008: 43
101 Clinton Road, Fairfield, New Jersey 07006
(201) 575-0040

THE SEEBURG PRODUCTS DIV.,
THE SEEBURG CORPORATION .............. P-6
1500 North Dayton Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622
(312) 642-0800

SEGA OF AMERICA. ccccceonsivawdesanes P-15-17
2550 Santa Fe Avenue, Redondo Beach, Cal. 90278
(213) 772-0833

SEGASA D.B.A. “SONIC” . osc cccsscevecseesc 140
Apartado 16117, Madrid, Spain
(213) 550-7608 (American Rep.)

SKEE BALL. UNG. ou ds cusdcatew dinnsiueneeeas P-11
8th & Maple Street, Lansdale, Penn. 19446
(215) 362-0300

SKYHIGH AMUSEMENT OF
CANADA LID. .occéaccxwarcedunesvesawes C-42-43
72 C Brunswick Ave., Dollard Des Ormeaux,
Quebec, Canada H9B 2C5
(514) 684-8422 or 26

SPINDEL INSURANCE AGENCY, INC......... 139
3700-174th Court, Suite 11A, Box 515,
Lansing, Illinois 60438
(312) 895-1900

STANDARD CHANGE-MAKERS, INC. .... 119-120
422 East New York Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
(317) 639-3423

STERN ELECTRONICS, INC.............. 141-145
1725 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Illinois 60614
(312) 935-4600

SUNBIRD CORPORATION ........ C-60-618&64-65
7557 Washington Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn. 55435
(612) 944-1437

SUTRA IMPORT CORPORATION ....7-8&103-105
485 Brown Court, Oceanside, New York 11572
(516) 536-6770

TAPE-ATHON CORPORATION ............... P-3
502 South Isis Ave., Inglewood, California 90301
(213) 776-6933

TEC VIDEO ELECTRONICS, INC............. C-36
3010 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95050
(408) 246-5428

TOMMY GATE MANUFACTURING CO. ....... 111
Bus Brown Drive, P.O. Box 8, Woodbine, Iowa 51579
(712) 647-2050

TOURNAMENT SOCCER............ 59-61&78-80
7930 Occidental Ave. So., Seattle, Washington 98108
(206) 763-1211

TRU-CHECK COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. ..... 50
250 East Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale, New York 10530
(914) 472-9030

LS ep Is cawseews den kedenndededeasuees 173-178
51 Progress Street, Box 37, Union, New Jersey 07083
(201) 686-7030

U.S. BILLIARDS, INC. ......... 169-172 & 179-182
243 Dixon Avenue, Amityville, New York 11701
(516) 842-4242

UNITED GAME Sine 5 bedi vaweessiccsecaces C-55-56
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(503) 255-8042

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(201) 686-5163

November, 1977, PLAY METER

THE VALLEY COMPANY Subsidiary of

Walter Kidde & Co., Inc. ......... 106-108&123-125

333 Morton Street, Box 656, Bay City, Michigan 48706
(517) 892-4536

MENGUAR ns oben tadeswndessunene concedes 83-84
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VENTURE LINE ING. scsi cecicccnsencenes C-66-67
2207 South 48th Street, Tempe, Arizona 85282
(602) 967-5914

WICO CORPORATION.............--202- 136-138
6400 Gross Point Road, Niles, Illinois 60648
(312) 647-7500

WILDCAT CHEMICAL CO.,INC................ 42
1349 East Seminary Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
(817) 924-8321

WILLIAMS ELECTRONICS, INC. . 166-168&183-185

3401 North California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60618
(312) 267-2240

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PLAY METER, November, 1977

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AMOA Stage Show:
A star-studded lineup

From top, Frankie
Avalon, Jeanne Na-
poli, Nick Nixon, and
Boots Randolph.

This year’s AMOA stage show,
October 30 at the Conrad Hilton
Hotel in Chicago, has a sprinkling of
diversified talent which runs the
gamut of music. entertainment.
Boots Randolph, Dave and Sugar,
Frankie Avalon, and the Sunshine
Express are all part of the big show
that is set for the closing night of
this year’s exposition.

The country music trio, Dave and
Sugar, has hit upon a winning
combination, blending tight vocal
harmonies with a dynamic stage
presence. Whether it is doing a
Hank Williams standard, an Elvis
Presley favorite, or an Olivia-New-
ton John tune, the trio is always in
perfect harmony.

Although Dave and Sugar have a
sound that could reach the cross-
over market, the trio seems content
with its country label. ‘’You’ve got
to have your roots somewhere, and
ours are in country music,’’ explains
Rowland.

The trio’s hits include ‘Queen of
the Silver Dollar,’” ‘“The Door is
Always Open,”’ “l’m Gonna Love
You,”’ and (its latest release) ‘’Don’t
Throw It All Away.”

Boots Randolph, otherwise
known as Mr. Sax, will also be
performing at the AMOA exposition
banquet stage show. Boots, who is
perhaps best known for his hit
"Yakety Sax,’’ was at last year’s
show and really ignited the crowd
with his performance.

The Teenage Idol, only slightly
grown up, will also be performing at
this year’s show. Frankie Avalon is
an entertainer whose career spans
all phases of the entertainment
business— motion pictures, televi-
sion, records, concerts, stage, and
nightclubs. Currently, he is one of
the busiest nightclub performers in
the country. He has played in the
nation’s finest supper clubs and has
headlined top Las Vegas Hotel
mainrooms.

He has made more than thirty
motion pictures and is perhaps best
known for his beach party pictures
which include ‘Beach Party,”
“Muscle Beach Party,”’ ‘Beach
Blanket Bingo,”’ ‘‘How To Stuff A
Wild Bikini,’’ and others.

Also performing will be the
Sunshine Express, a group of nine
young entertainers who will be
doing pop, country, and soul music
from the forties and fifties.

The Sunshine Express is one of
the hottest groups in show busi-
ness, and there were many requests
for a group such as them to perform
at the AMOA stage show.

Also featured at the AMOA show
will be Del Reeves, an_ actor,
country music singer and song-
writer, impressionist, and television
personality. Though he is_ best
known as a songwriter, he has
recorded some hits himself and has
earned himself a permanent spot on
the Grand Ole Opry.

Del’s back-up band, The Good
Time Charlies, are now _ being
heralded as superb entertainers in
their own right.

Jeanne Napoli, an international
singer, has also been engaged for
the show. Currently she has a hit
record in French on the London
label entitled ‘‘Est Toujours Temps
Pour Partir,’” which is the French
version of ‘’Never Can Say Good-
Bye.”

She is also recording in Tagalog
(the Philippine language) for the
Philippines and is presently doing an
album for Vigor Records here in the
United States.

Another entertainer who will be
on hand will be Ray Griff, who got
his big break when Johnny Horton
recorded his song, ‘Mr. Moon-
light.’” Ray’s hits include ‘“You Ring
My Bell,”’ “Your Lily White Hands,”’
“Darlin’,”’ “Morning After Baby Let
Me Down,” "It Rains Just the Same
in Missouri,’ and his latest ‘If | Let
Her Come In.”

Frankie Randall, a jazz pianist
from an early age, has recorded
seven albums and countless sin-
gles—among them ‘’Bewitched,’’
“Spanish Flea,”’ ‘Hello Vegas,”’ “|
Can’t Believe It’s Over,”” and
“Loving You.”

He has starred in cabarets and is
presently working on a musical
television series.

And Nick Nixon, a former opti-
cian, started his professional career
in music when a singer friend of his
invited him up to the stage to
perform ‘Swinging Doors.”

While still an optician, he formed
his own band, The Country Souls
Band, and followed with a string of
singles which include ‘I’m Too
Used to Loving You,” ‘’She’s Just
an Old Love Turned Memory,”’
“Neon Lights,’’ ‘“Rocking In Rosa-
lee’s Boat,’’ and his current song,

November, 1977, PLAY METER

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The master of ceremonies will be

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before. Jerri is more than an emcee, AMERICAN CLASSIC Il
she’s a comedienne, vocalist, in-
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service-free operation. It’s
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Tel. (312) TAylor 9-2399

Welcome MOA!

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191 & 192

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PLAY METER, November, 1977 39

Ten Tips

1. Go to the Exposition with the
intent of learning as much as you
possibly can, especially about new
equipment. Attend educational ses-
sions such as the AMOA Seminar.
Visit AMOA service booths on the
exhibit floor. Keep an open mind.

2. If possible, attend the Exposition
with someone from your own
comipany. Then you will be able to
discuss, on the spot, the merits of
the products you see. Or you may
wish, at least some of the time, to
split up and each concentrate on
different parts of the show and then
compare notes later.

3. Use your AMOA Exposition
Program and Directory of exhibitors
complete with floor plans. Then you
can check off names of exhibitors
you may have visited or may wish to
visit again. Make sure to visit every
exhibitor. The one you miss might
be the one who could do you the
most good.

4. Ask questions. Be _ inquisitive.
Exhibitors cannot always display
everything they have, nor can they
publish all of their technical informa-
tion and know-how. So, ask
questions.

5. Discuss your particular problems
with exhibitors. In this show most
exhibitors will have technical people
on hand to help you. Read the
exhibitors’ literature. Collect what
you think will be helpful and take it
home with you.

6. Get in the habit of making notes.
Amidst such a large display of
coin-operated equipment you will
find it impossible to remember
everything. So carry a notebook in
which you can jot down names,
products, manufacturers, ideas—
whatever might be helpful. Don’t
trust anything to memory.

7. Keep on the move. The AMOA
Exposition is a wonderful opportu-
nity to talk shop with others in the
coin machine business. Sometimes
informal conversations can yield a
gold mine of valuable information.

8. Meet new people. Introduce
yourself. Your badge gives you the
right to approach new people, most

of whom will be glad to meet you.
Eat with someone different at
every meal. Circulate at parties and
receptions. The member you
haven’t spoken to may help you the
most.

9. Ask for help. If you don’t know
who can aid you with a particular
problem, consult one of the AMOA
officers or directors. They will
usually know who is most qualified
or experienced to help you. Or
consult members of the trade press
who are very knowledgeable and
will be glad to help you. If you are
from: another country, you can get
help from AMOA’s International
Visitors Booth.

10. Finally, to get the most out of
the show, work it systematically.
Spend as much time on the exhibit
floors as possible. Check the floor
plan from official directory, the
trade magazines or the enlarged
floor plans posted throughout the
show. Work the show carefully,
thoroughly. The AMOA Exposition
is a very special, high quality show.
It only happens once a year. Get the
most out of it.

vice

—Fred Granger, executive

president, AMOA

CALENDAR

October 28-30
Amusement and Music Operators
Association, annual convention and
trade show, Conrad Hilton Hotel,
Chicago, Illinois. —

November 19-27
International Association of Amuse-
ment Parks and Attractions Exposi-
tion, Rivergate, New Orleans, Lou/-
siana. |

January 13-15
The Music Operators of Minnesota,
annual meeting and trade show.

January 20-27
Oregon Amusement and Music
Operators Association, annual con-
vention, The Embarcadero, New-
port, Oregon.

January 24-26
Amusement Trades — Exhibition
(A. 7.E.), Alexandra Palace, North
London, England.

March 3-4
A.M.0O.A. regional seminar, O'Hare
Hilton, O'Hare Airport, Chicago,
Mlinois.

March 31-April 1
Music Operators of Michigan,
fourth annual convention, Michigan
Inn, Southfield, Michigan.

SNDOSe,

A. M. A. DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

Welcome AMOA aud IAAPA visitors!
When in Hew Onleons for the Parks Show,
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ust minutes fom the Rivergatel
Exclusive distributor for Rock-Ola,
Midway, Brunswick, ond Fischer.

AWA. Distributors, Suc.
(711 St. Charles Avenue,
ew Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Phone: 504/529-2315

OPERATORS

Association ZY

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November, 1977, PLAY METER

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Will building a better peopletrap
beat a path to Atari’s new Chuck E.
Cheese Pizza Time Theater in San
Jose?

Early indications indicate Atari
has another innovative winner in its
mouse-mascot-themed __ entertain-
ment center. And it’s a true test,
because the restaurant appears to
be in a poor location, not fronting
any major street. It is located in the
Town and Country Shopping Center
near Highway 17 and Stevens Creek
Road in San Jose. This open type
center is different because it pur-
posely appeals to a_ high-level
income, sophisticated market—a
disadvantage perhaps for a new
entertainment center and_ pizza
restaurant, admits Gene Landrum,
General Manager.

Despite such handicaps, people
are beating a path to the door of
Pizza Time Theater. Landrum said
they are '’25 percent ahead of our
Original financial projections.”’

“The reason | selected this site

aa By Gene Beley

was we needed 6,000 square feet
and, after looking almost four
months, | couldn’t find a suitable
building. This was the closest we
could find—5,000 square feet.”

Aside from the Disney-like at-
tractions, the success formula may
be that Atari leaves the cooking to
professional restaurant people and
sticks to the computer animated
characters and games. Play Meter’s
taste test can attest to good food as
well as outstanding games and
decor.

There have been rumors that
some restaurants across the country
have been offended by Atari's
entering the restaurant business and
ordered amusement operators to
remove Atari games from. the
restaurants in question. ‘They
quickly learned that Atari games
make money, though,’’ chuckled
one distributor in Los Angeles,
indicating the boycott was _ short-
lived.

The experimental restaurant en-
tertainment center, which opened
May 16, combines pizza with pizzaz.
Computer animated characters sur-
round the walls, just below the
ceiling area, and are ona time clock.
Periodically in this dining area, the
star of the show, Chuck E. Cheese,
MC, opens the show and introduces
his show biz pals. Crusty the cat,
Jasper T. Jowls, the country hillbilly
dog, and The Warblettes, provide
an old-fashioned Saturday matinee,
vaudville type show.

Although it may seem dull stuff
by Disney standards, the pioneering
effort is laudable and appreciated by
the Sesame Street set.

| think it is an expensive place to
go for dinner,’’ commented Phyillis
Greenlee, a mother from Cuperinto,
but she didn’t mean the food was
expensive.

“The food was good and not
overpriced,’’ she added. ‘’Once you
bring a kid here, he just wants to do
everything.”’

Everything includes more than 30
coin-operated electronic games in
five different game rooms. The
restaurant ‘primes the pump” by
giving each customer a_ special
token that activates a game. The
number of tokens received depends
on the price of the purchase, or

A
better

peopletrap

special promotions.

Atari has made a major break-
through by obtaining special coin
mechanisms from Germany to ac-
complish this advantage. Either their
special tokens or quarters work in
the machines. And the Pizza Time
Theater tokens will not work in
other operator’s machines as they
are too large to get in a coin throat.

Mrs. Greenlee said she would
bring her family again to Pizza Time
Theater ‘because it was different.”’

“Most pizza parlors are boring,”’
she commented.

She particularly liked the ani-
mated show.

"A friend recommended it. This is
really neat for younger kids.”

Interestingly, Atari features other
manufacturer’s games as well as
their own. Included are Midway’s
Sea Wolf and Boot Hill.

Upon entering, on the left is an
oversized, fiberglass, hollow cheese
replica for kids to crawl through the
holes. On the right is a Puppy Pong,
a small video Pong game with
controls geared to the height of a
three-year-old child. That game is
on free play, but, with what Atari
earned on Pong, that won't deter-
mine the financial success of Pizza
Time Theater.

One glassed-off eating area had
custom-built tables with Atari
games imbedded. Landrum, who
now heads Atari’s Restaurant Oper-
ating Division, observes he _ is
getting play on those games from
many older people waiting for pizzas
that might not otherwise play the
games.

Game Room #2 featured Sprint 2,
Night Driver, Indy 400, Boot Hill,
Breakout and Dominos. Room #3
features Sea Wolf, Junkyard, Pool
Shark, Drag Race, Starship, Quiz
Show and Witchhunt. Room #4 has
a Sega large-screen Wild Gunman
and some air hockeys. Presently,
Atari is operating the games and
maintenance on the audiotronics.

Atari plans to build several more,
then assemble a franchise package.

The animated audiotronics are
built by Atari with consultant help
from a small firm in Southern
California called Fantasy Forest,
Landrum said.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

black Magic

For those locations that promote the excitement of living now, Black

Magic provides the accent. The new jukebox posture with shapeup. =
ed profits:

Black Magic invigorates. And life begins. For you: more play, more
profits.

Arvuanran nacion
at of +e é

SS eau Cane { ; titted (obs
aoe © GS 7 WJ ‘ Pid. ae ‘ is C3)
wa hallaimili muvacrma
GLUE ii Wei Ge GOLIG

1977 PHONOGRAPH LINE
ie } ae . : x 5

WU RUNIZEr "

et a

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WURLIIZER

ask your nearest agent for more information
or Deutsche Wurlitzer GmbH

Book review

There's a new book out, it’s called
Pinball! That's right, Roger C.
Sharpe’s long-awaited book has
finally arrived.

The — stunningly-colorful book
from E—.P. Dutton is a_ visual
celebration of the phenomenon
surrounding pinball. The photo-
graphs depict the ubiquitousness of
the game—in lounges, in drug
stores, in arcades, in tourist shops,
in cafes, in liquor stores, in airports,
in college hangouts, even in washa-
terias. It’s pictured in all sorts of
decorum, from chandeliers to graf-
fitti-covered walls. It’s even juxta-
posed with flowers on a table. It’s
an altogether different view of a
game which for too long has labored
under the sleazy image that it’s a
game strictly for hoodlums.

The photography by James Ham-

PLAY METER, November, 1977

iiton shows the game penetrating
every segment of human life—with
both young and old playing the
game.

In an interview with Play Meter
following the release of his book,
Sharpe acknowledged that one of
the shortcomings of the game of
pinball is that, for some reason,
adults have felt intimidated by the
game (Operators, for the most part
count 14-year-olds as the largest
part of their clientele.)

Said Sharpe, ‘Look in many
arcades. There are cartoon figures
and child heroes depicted on the
walls. In some, the decor is strictly
schoolroom, with bulletin boards
and the like. This in turn, intimidates
many adults who want to play the
game but feel put off by the
surroundings. As a result, many

adults have come to think of pinball
as being the hallowed grounds of
kids, but that’s not so. | hope my
book raises the awareness level of
this game. Adults will see that this is
a game not just for kids, that there’s
something here for them too.”

Roger Sharpe’s text is written
with the layman in mind. It outlines
the history of the game, from
bagatelle through the contributions
of men like Harry Williams, David
Gottlieb, Bill Gersh, Roy Parker, and
others. There’s some space devoted
to the pinball court cases, but not
much.

"| wanted Pinball! to be a
document or a chronicle of the
evolution of the game,’ said
Sharpe. “| didn’t want to get too
heavy with this book. | wanted it to
be understandable to someone
outside the industry. For that
reason, | didn’t get too much into
the court decisions surrounding the
game.”

The book does, however, give a
good overview of the industry, with
some explanation of the rationale
behind some of the innovations in
the industry. And, of course, there’s
a lot of those little-known facts
which should enliven the text for
those who are already familiar with
the history of pinball.

There’s also a section entitled
"How to Play Pinball.’’ In addition,
Pinball! contains a glossary of terms
for the layman, and a list of the
games manufactured from its ear-
liest days through the book’s
publication date in early 1977.

“It's a game that has become a
part of our history,’’ Sharpe told
Play Meter. ‘It's an American
success story. How many other
industries can say they were started
by energetic men in their late
twenties? The car industry and
maybe the movie industry, but
that’s about it. Pinball is like that.
This is Americana.”

For all of Sharpe’s insistence that
pinball is essentially American, there
seems to be a preponderance of
photographs of pinball in European
countries. We asked him about that.

Here in the United States we're
more geared to pinball in arcades
and lounges and coffeeshops,”’ said
Sharpe. ‘’But in Europe it’s more a
part of their lifestyle. It's not a part
of our lifestyle yet, but it will be.
You see, pinball is a game Euro-
peans have picked up on,”’ contin-
ues Sharpe. ‘It's a European game
that has come from the States.”’

Perhaps Pinball! will be able to
show the American reading public
the versatility of the game, it’s wide
acceptance and popularity. The
book does show the game in a good
light. There are pictures of parents

enfolding their children who are

J () IN TO [) A Y playing the game. There are pictures
of happy groups of people playing
the game, and of solitary figures

> pounding away at the game.

Frccncr For the operator it could well

pee pe become a practical guide to differ-

(A) (i) ent types of arcade motifs to try. By

0 flipping through the book, an
ss A operator can become exposed to

countless types of decorum for his
games. And, surely the book is an
ideal gift to give to someone in the
industry or for someone in the

AMUSEMENT industry to give to someone outside
& MUSIC the industry.

It may sound brash, but the book
has all the earmarks of becoming
the Roots of the pinball industry.
Possibly, it can provide the industry

OPERATORS with an identification, a recogniz-
ASSOCIATION ability, a camaraderie. As Sharpe
puts it, ‘It’s reassurance that there’s
nothing wrong with the industry.
Through the game's’ checkered
past, it has persevered, and now it
has become a part of our history.”’
AMUSEMENT

& MUSIC
For those who would like to see
(i) () firsthand, they are invited to gee

Play Meter booth at the A
ASSOCIATION show in Chicago. Roger Sharpe will
ZB be on hand to discuss his book and

any specific questions you may have
about it.

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46 November, 1977, PLAY METER

PLAY MEQVER

Everything You Expect From A Trade Publication...

And More...

“Congratulations on your
publication Play Meter. It is really
most impressive and very well
done. Good work!”

Frederick M. Granger
Executive Vice President
A.M.O.A.

nnn 60” = 6

“Our office staff enjoys reading
Play Meter very much. We were
impressed with not only the writing
style but the layout technique as
well. We hope to continue reading
your informative magazine in the
future.”

Jeanne Werner
Communications Director

“We believe the money for a
subscription to Play Meter is well
spent. You understand our
industry.

Frank Balles
Garden State Distributors
Sewell, N.J.

“I must compliment you on the
articles that are written regarding
various organizations and I
appreciate the fact you are calling
the shots as you see them.

I assure you I! am going to
recomend to our membership that
they subscribe to Play Meter
because I think it carries a lot of very

“Congratulations on your
monthly column Critic’s Corner by
Roger C. Sharpe. I have hoped for
years that some way we operators
might have this service available. |
certainly hope you will continue to
offer us a review of the new games
each month. Also, Technical
Topics is, | think, very worthwhile.

Information of the nature we get
from monthly features like this help
make Play Meter a very valuable
book for our industry.”

Ted Nichols

Past President

A.M.O.A.

Owner

Automatic Vending Service

valuable information for an
operator, regardless of what area
he operates in.”

o——_—_$<____“—“_-«e

“Recently my boss and I have
been doing a great deal of studies

Wisconsin Music Merchants
Association

—_—*_"""3

“T have just started in business
and find that Play Meter ia a must if
I’m to run a successful operation.”

David Lampf
President
Blip Electronic Games Ind.

—_—_—_——_—__——""""""—_?

“As a newcomer to this business,
I am most indebted to Play Meter
for making available to me a great
deal of information about this
complex and exciting industry that
would otherwise have been
difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.

...the way we in the industry can
best show our gratitude is through
our subscriptions and regular
advertisements.

Thank you for an entertaining
and informative publication.”

Rivington F. Hight
Export Manager
Taito Corp.
Tokyo, Japan

George A. Miller
Past Executive Director

California Music Merchants

Association

o—_—___—“-

“After reading trade magazines
such as Marketplace, Billboard,
Cashbox..., | must congratulate the
editors and staff of Play Meter for
publishing such an excellent trade
magazine. Play Meter is the finest
magazine in its field. It has long
been overdue.

Edward J. Elum
Attorney

Elum Music Co.
Massillen, Ohio

“Enjoy your magazine 100%. A
real asset to our industry.”

W.W. Kenison
Owner

Kenison Music Co.
lowa Falls, Iowa

on pinball with the use of a
computer. We have compared the
different features of a machine with
the income it earns over a period of
time. Also we have studied the
playing habits of individuals and
what they like in playing different
pinball games. It is surprising how
they correlate with your magazine.
Keep up the good work.”

Dan Dever
Helix Enterprises, Inc.
San Marcos, Texas

: Ee,

“Congratulations for the most
useful Technical Topics section of
what we consider “Our Magazine”.
We have subscribed to-Play Meter
since the first issue in 1974, and we
consider it a “must” for every
operator in the trade.

Ramon Rodriguez

President

Raymond Amusement Corp.
Gaynabo, Puerto Rico

PLAY MEWERB: p.o. Box 24170, New Orleans, LA 70184

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Free-Play Amusement

Re WORLD

TITLE, ARTIST. Label, Number, (Distributing Label)

Ost. WKS. ON
Hi 4 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE
DEBBY BOONE
Warner/Curb WBS 8446
(WB) 8
2 2. KEEP IT COMIN’ LOVE KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND/
T.K. 1023 17
3 1 “STAR WARS" THEME/CANTINA BAND MECO/Millennium
MN 604 (Casablanca) 12
WZ 25“ NOBODY DOES IT BETTER CARLY SIMON/Elektra 45413 13
5 3 THAT'S ROCK 'N’ ROLL SHAUN CASSIDY/Warner/Curb
WBS 8423 (WB) 12
7 «BOOGIE NIGHTS HEATWAVE/Epic 8 50370 12
7 6 BEST OF MY LOVE EMOTIONS/Columbia 3 10544 18
8 8 COLD AS ICE FOREIGNER/Atlantic 3410 13
9 9 1 JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING ANDY GIBB/
RSO RS 872 (Polydor) 26
BE} 12 1 FEEL LOVE DONNA SUMMER/Casablanca 884 1
11 10 WAY DOWN ELVIS PRESLEY/RCA PB 10998 16
12 13 THE KING IS GONE RONNIE McDOWELL/Scorpion SC 0543 6
15 BRICK HOUSE COMMODORES/Motown M 1425F 8
14 11 SWAYIN’ TO THE MUSIC (SLOW DANCIN’) JOHNNY
RIVERS/Big Tree BT 16094 (Atlantic) 17
RE} 18 it’s ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME
BARRY WHITE/20th Century 2350 7
16 14 DON'T STOP FLEETWOOD MAC/Warner Bros. WBS 8413 15
17 16 TELEPHONE LINE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA/Jet 1000
(UA) 18
EE 24 DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE CRYSTAL GAYLE/
United Artists XW1016 12
19 20 SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED (I'M YOURS)
PETER FRAMPTON/A&M 1972 8
20 21 JUNGLE LOVE STEVE MILLER BAND/Capitol P 4466 1
21 17 ON AND ON STEPHEN BISHOP/ABC 12260 17
22 23 CAT SCRATCH FEVER TED NUGENT/Epic 8 50425 12
23. 19 DON'T WORRY BABY B. J. THOMAS/MCA 40735 14
EZ] 31 “BABY, WHAT A BIG SURPRISE CHICAGO/Columbia 3 10620 3
42 )«WE'RE ALL ALONE RITA COOLIDGE/A&M 1965 6
26 28 IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG RONNIE MILSAP/
RCA PB 10976 13
32 JUST REMEMBER | LOVE YOU FIREFALL/Atlantic 3421 7
28 29 HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR PAUL NICHOLAS/
RSO RS 878 (Polydor) 9
29 30 SHE DID IT ERIC CARMEN/Arista 0266 8
30 25 (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER & HIGHER
RITA COOLIDGE/A&M 1922 24
31 34 HELP IS ON THE WAY LITTLE RIVER BAND/Harvest P 4428
(Capitol) 12
32 33 1 BELIEVE YOU DOROTHY MOORE/Malaco 1042 (T.K.) ‘12
33. 36 DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME PETER BROWN/
Drive 6258 (T.K.) 7
39 DUSIC BRICK/Bang 734 7
35 35 1 WOULDN'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU ALAN PARSONS
PROJECT/Arista 0260 10
36 22 FLOAT ON FLOATERS/ABC 12284 17
44 WE JUST DISAGREE DAVE MASON/Columbia 3 10575 7
38 26 HANDY MAN JAMES TAYLOR/Columbia 3 10557 18
39 27 STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 BROTHERS JOHNSON/
A&M 1949 15
40 38 EASY COMMODORES/Motown M 1418F 21
41 45 SURFIN’ USA LEIF GARRETT/Atlantic 3423 8
42 43 LITTLE DARLIN’ (1 NEED YOU) THE DOOBIE BROTHERS/
Warner Bros. WBS 8408 12
43 37 DAYTIME FRIENDS KENNY ROGERS/United Artists XW1027 12
EZ 57 How DEEP Is YOUR LOVE BEE GEES/RSO 882 (Polydor) 3
50 DO YOUR DANCE (PART 1) ROSE ROYCE/Whitfield WHL
8440 (WB) 4
TJ 53) THE LOVE THEME FROM “ONE ON ONE" (MY FAIR SHARE)
SEALS & CROFTS/Warner Bros. WBS 8405 6
55 CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES

JIMMY BUFFETT/ABC 12305 4

48
49

m
~ o o o Uw

THE SINGLES CHART

DAYBREAK BARRY MANILOW/Arista 0273

| JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU FOGHAT/
Bearsville BSS 0319 (WB)

ISN'T IT TIME BABYS/Chrysalis CHS 2173

8
3
BLUE BAYOU LINDA RONSTADT/Asylum 45431 5
THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL GEORGE BENSON/Arista 0251 13
DEVIL'S GUN C. J. & COMPANY/Westbound 55400
(Atlantic) 11
DOCTOR LOVE 1ST CHOICE/Gold Mind 4004 (Salsoul) 5
THEME FROM “STAR WARS"/CANTINA BAND LONDON
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/20th Century 2345 14
UNDERCOVER ANGEL ALAN O'DAY/Pacific 001 (Atlantic) 26
DA DOO RON RON SHAUN CASSIDY/Warner/Curb WBS
8365 (WB) 23

IT'S SO EASY LINDA RONSTADT/Asylum E 45438 2

SEND IN THE CLOWNS JUDY COLLINS/Elektra 45076 4
A PLACE IN THE SUN PABLO CRUISE/A&M 1976 4
YOU AND ME ALICE COOPER/Warner Bros. WBS 8349 25
GONE TOO FAR ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY/
Big Tree BT 16102 (Atlantic) 3
(EVERY TIME | TURN AROUND) BACK IN LOVE AGAIN
LTD/A&M 1974

COME SAIL AWAY STYX/A&M 1977
| GO CRAZY PAUL DAVIS/Bang 733

5
a
8
SHAKE IT WELL DRAMATICS/ABC 12299 3
BABY COME BACK PLAYER/RSO RS 879 (Polydor) 3
FAIR GAME CROSBY, STILLS & NASH/Atlantic 3432 3
THUNDER IN MY HEART LEO SAYER/Warner Bros. WBS 8465 2
YOUR SMILING FACE JAMES TAYLOR/Columbia 3 10602 2

CHARTMAKER OF THE WEEK

SWING TOWN
STEVE MILLER
Capitol P 4496

@
bes)

3 28 @ #-.) oc aoaooakicin NNBIBS be
© an OF oO ND — OFT) ms OU PSR FX

CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT
CARPENTERS/A&M 1978

GOIN’ PLACES THE JACKSONS/Epic 8 50454

SENTIMENTAL LADY BOB WELCH/Capitol P 4479

LOVE GUN KISS/Casablanca 895

LITTLE QUEEN HEART/Portrait 6 70008

SERPENTINE FIRE EARTH, WIND & FIRE/Columbia 3 10625
SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY PAUL SIMON/Columbia 3 10630

STONE COLD SOBER CRAWLER/Epic 8 50442
SILVER LADY DAVID SOUL/Private Stock 163
TIME BOMB LAKE/Columbia 3 10614

GEORGIA RHYTHM ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION/Polydor
14432

oan —~— = Wah NW WD

AVENGING ANNIE ROGER DALTREY/MCA 40800
DRAW THE LINE AEROSMITH/Columbia 3 10637

SHE'S NOT THERE SANTANA/Columbia 3 10616
BABY LOVE MOTHER'S FINEST/Epic 8 50407

HERE YOU COME AGAIN DOLLY PARTON/RCA 11123

HARD TIMES BOZ SCAGGS/Columbia 3 10606
YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY CAROLE BAYER SAGER/
Elektra 45422
NEEDLES & PINS SMOKEY/RSO 881 (Polydor)
YOU CAN’T TURN ME OFF (IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING
ME ON) HIGH INERGY/Gordy 7155 (Motown) 4
FROM GRACELAND TO THE PROMISED LAND
MERLE HAGGARD/MCA 40804 2
SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE SANFORD-TOWNSEND
BAND/Warner Bros. WBS 8370 17
ANOTHER STAR STEVIE WONDER/Tamla T 54286F (Motown) 10
RED HOT ROBERT GORDON WITH LINK WRAY/
Private Stock 156 6

—=— —- AP ~~ WN WwW

@ &»

BARRACUDA HEART/Portrait 6 70004 21
GIVE A LITTLE BIT SUPERTRAMP/A&M 1938 21
WE NEVER DANCED TO A LOVE SONG MANHATTANS/

Columbia 3 10586 8&8

JUST A SONG BEFORE | GO CROSBY, STILLS & NASH/
Atlantic 3401 20
LADY OF MAGIC MAZE WITH FRANKIE BEVERLY /Capitol
P 4456

Top Country Hits

Top Soul Hits

Now Was

HEAVEN’S JUST A SIN AWAY
KENDALLS/ Ovation OV 1103

DAYTIME FRIENDS
KENNY ROGERS/United Artists XW102/

Y'ALL COME BACK SALOON
OAK RIDGE BOYS/ABC Dot DO 17710

I'VE ALREADY LOVED YOU IN MY MIND
CONWAY TWITTY/MCA 40754

EAST BOUND AND DOWN
JERRY REED/RCA PB 11066

| GOT THE HOSS
MEL TILLIS/MCA 40764

I'M JUST A COUNTRY BOY
DON WILLIAMS/ABC Dot DO 17/17

WE CAN'T GO ON LIVING LIKE THIS
EDDIE RABBITT/Elektra 45418

WHY CAN'T HE BE YOU
LORETTA LYNN/MCA 40747

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME
TOM T. HALL/Mercury 55001

DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE
CRYSTAL GAYLE/United Artists XW1016

THE KING IS GONE
RONNIE MCDOWELL/Scorpion GRT 0643

SILVER MEDALS AND SWEET MEMORIES
STATLER BROTHERS/Mercury 55000

SHAME, SHAME ON ME
KENNY DALE/Captiol 445/

THE DANGER OF A STRANGER
STELLA PARTON/Elektra 45410)

ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING
JOHN WESLEY RYLES/ABC Dot 17698

IF IT AIN'T LOVE BY NOW
JIM ED BROWN & HELEN CORNELIUS/RCA PB 11044

THE OLD MAN AND HIS HORN
GENE WATSON/Capitol 4458

TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH |
BILLIE JO SPEARS/United Artists XW1041

HOLD ME
BARBARA MANDRELL/ABC Dot DO 17716

Now Was

IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME
BARRY WHITE/20th Century TC 2350

BOOGIE NIGHTS
HEATWAVE/Epic 8503/0

KEEP IT COMIN’ LOVE
KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND/T.K. 1023

BRICK HOUSE
COMMODORES/Motown M 1425F

DUSIC
BRICK/Bang 734

DO YOUR DANCE (PART |)
ROSE ROYCE/Whitfield WH1 8440

FLOAT ON
FLOATERS/ABC 12284

WE NEVER DANCED TO A LOVE SONG
MANHATTANS/Columbia 3 10486

WORK ON ME
O’JAYS/Phila. Intl. 2S8 3631

STRAWBERRY LETTER 23
BROTHERS JOHNSON/A&M 1949

DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME
PETER BROWN/Drive 6258

BEST OF MY LOVE
EMOTIONS/Columbia 3 10544

(EVERY TIME | TURN AROUND) BACK IN LOVE AGAIN
LTD/A&M 1974

DOCTOR LOVE
1ST CHOICE/Gold Mind 4004

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL:

GEORGE BENSON/Arista 0251

EASY
COMMODORES/Motown M 1418F

| BELIEVE YOU
DOROTHY MOORE/Malaco 1042

SHAKE IT WELL
DRAMATICS/ABC 12299

JUST LET ME HOLD YOU FOR A NIGHT
DAVID RUFFIN/Motown M 1420F

| FEEL LOVE/CAN’T WE JUST SIT DOWN (AND TALK IT OVER)
DONNA SUMMER/Casablanca 884

November, 1977, PLAY METER

REEDOM OF CHOICE

That's what reading magazines is all about. You choose what you want to
read, when you want to read it. You have the freedom to properly assess
what you like in these pages at your leisure.

Reading Play Meter also gives you the freedom to compare product
information from the coin-operated amusements manufacturers and service
companies. If you would like to learn more about our advertisers and their
products or services, feel free to find them in this alphabetical listing, then
circle the corresponding number on our Reader Service Card, between
pages 10 and 13.

1. Advance Distributing Company........... 6,73 27. Mike Munves Co., Inc........0000e0eeeneee 10
2. Alcohol Countermeasure. ...........0000005 96 28. Nevada Gaming Schools. .........:20:00085 65
3. A. MLA. Distributors ..o.cccccccscessraneanee 40 29. Nova Enterprises. ........0000eceeenenennes ab
4. American Shuffleboard..........0.00000005 39 30. Operators Sales. .........0ccceenneenennees 46
S.. AMNGS WKktg. INCL csccckecciacvecescenweew es 95 31. Peach State Distributing. ...........000000: 80
6. Amusement Service Company..........+:: 98 Se. PISVINSUG ccc ieddsdcneeendws eeasewrs eres 101
Fe DOA Grace ecatavietatinedewsesaces 2,23 33. POLY VONE siedki ceeceanscceedsweveuncnanes 41
8. Bally Manufacturing Corp..........0000000 28 a4. Robinson, C.Asccccccvsscvaveavcssscosnwns 78
9. Belam Export Corp.........0cceceecuccncnues 7 35. Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp............ 102
10. Compunetic Devices..........00000enunees 85 36. Rowe International ...........20020000: 43, 62
Th. Elcon Indust, cicccssassivavewisciesvase 98 37. Shaffer Distributing. ...........00000neeees 87
12. Electronic Amusement Service............ 35 38. Standard Change Makers. .........000s0055 99
16, ERIN, ING ispeveeccdeuns cecesoniaswawawede 24 39. Standard Metal Typer.........0..2eeeen00s 86
14. Frantz Mif¢. Co., SF cacccccavsscaneveunes 39 40. Sunbird Corp.....ccssccnccesessceuesausecu 79
16. Game DOCtOIS .6cscvcccccnesesneweanawenas 77 41. Suzo Trading Co......cccccecsccsnnccczeuns 37
16. Gottlieb and Co., .D. w..cccsccaccsnnaccecnns 30 42. Taito American Corp. .......:000e0eeeennee 61
17. Great Amusement Emporium, The......... 31 £3. TM GOniscc asin cdiotinnseeratvenéncaeneas 48
18. Greenwald Industries ...........02s00e0e 100 44. Tournament Soccer.........2000e0eees 52,53
19. Imperial Billiards..........000se00ceenaeaes 86 45. Tweeten Fibr@s ..scscncennsccenectaseensas 46
20. International Billiards ..........0.00se00005 ag C6. VW. Bil. (Gs cccusiwncaseenseweeaddaxeaaews 100
21. International Sales Mktg..........0000000: 60 Af. U.S, Biller cccccccscccavsusesscens 27, 39, 87
22. Key Industries........2.0000eeeeeeeenes 80, 81 48. Venguardd....ccvcceccstcaventnsaseevenne ss 27
23. Lowen-Automaten.......2.:2seeeeeenenaes 82 2... Wied Cons cic ccciaceeseasiassewnsecancees 13
24. Mali and Co., Henry W.T.......2.0000eenee 41 50. Worldwide Distributing. ..........00000088: 63
25. Meadows Games, Inc.......22220eeeeeneees 55 51. Wurlitzer GmbH ... 1. eee c cence ccasncecese 44
26. Midway Manufacturing...........02+e0000 5 52. Wildcat Chemical Co...........20020eeeees 93

JOIN US IN THE
WINNERS CIRCLE AT
_— THE SCHLITZ

000 TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP FOOS

SOCCER WORLD

We'll be there with
Tournament Soccer,
sponsors of the biggest foosball
event of 1977. The most spec-
tacular competition on the
$500,000 World Champion-
ship Pro Tour. And we invite you to
step into the future ...into the new
profit circle!

Tournament Soccer began in 1972.

Since then, the sport has blossomed
into a professional tour that has
over 13,000 people competing for
$500,000 in prize money in cities
throughout the country.

And most of the players have
qualified to go in locations like yours!

Atari and Foosball...
natural profit partners.

This year we’ve teamed up with
Tournament Soccer to demonstrate
this exciting, highly profitable new
merchandising combination. It’s a
chance for you to see how Atari and
Tournament Soccer can help you
gain a competitive edge over other

locations, please your present custom-

ers more, and create new business.
We'll be there with our own foos-

Atari and Tournament Soccer.
Changing the way the world plays.

. ball fireballers, we'll be hosting a

special Atari Player Appreciation
Buffet Dinner, and we'll be there with
games! In our own arcade!

Games that continue to revolu-
tionize the industry and make profit
magic in locations everywhere.
There’s Starship 1!” the fantastic
video game that brings space war
action to life. And Super Bug’ a
video rally race featuring a yellow
modified “Bug” speeding through city
streets; Sprint 2’ the 2-player video
motor racing game that offers players
12 different tracks, to name just a few.

And the new flipper games that
feature wider playfields for more ball
action, more replay, new sounds. And
that utilize solid-state and micro-
processor technology for greater
reliability, and more options. Games
like Time 2000™ and high-flying
Airborne Avenger™

FESTIVAL.

Gateway Convention Center
ot. Louis, Missouri
November 3-6, 1977

Reliability comes
standard. Solid-state
electronics, built-in self-test systems,

more operator- selectable play
options for more profit also
come standard.

We’re playing your game.

So join us in the new Winner’s
Circle. For more information about
the Tournament, call Tournament
Soccer toll-free at 1-800-426-8897.
For more details about Atari products,
talk to your local Atari distributor,
or contact us for referral at 1265
Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA
94086. (408) 745-2500.

See you in St. Louis.

When 50/50

won’tdo

By Ernest W. Fair

The lifeblood of any coin machine
business is in the commission
arrangements made with location
owners. In many cases the chance
for business survival can depend
upon them. But how does the
Operator negotiate for better com-
mission arrangements? Here are
some suggestions from actual prac-
tice today:

Sell the deal as a partnership
proposition. Profit has to be made
by both parties to guarantee con-
tinued revenue from any machine.
So talk this ‘partnership’’ every
time; get the location owner to
thinking in those terms.

Show him exactly what you can
do for him with the better commis-
sion arrangement. Talk in specifics,

not generalities. Immediate service
to eliminate downtime on a ma-
chine, is one appeal. Another is to
assure him he'll be getting the latest
equipment or the proven money-
makers.

Tie in commission figures with the
placement spot in his location that
he gives you. In the number one
spot, you can take a little less. If
your units have to be placed in less
desirable floor space, then your
commission must be larger. That’s
an argument easy to put across to
any location owner.

Have something extra to give him
in return for a better commission.
What this may be will depend upon
his business. The use of a little
imagination can develop something
of this nature to fit any location.

It's a matter of ‘You do this for
me, and I'll do that for you.” It’s just
old fashioned horse trading, and
that’s something all of us like in our
business contacts.

Make the commission arrange-
ment a flexible one when the
machine is brought in. Start off with

- the way he wants it. But tie better

commission arrangements for your-
self to increased revenue over the
Original, for the future. This is a
more acceptable program to the
average location owner. It beats
attempting to sell a higher commis-
sion at the start.

Put the major emphasis on the
dollar revenue he will receive. Keep
this as the theme of your sales
effort. With strong enough empha-
sis, it can make many individuals
forget all about commission per-
centages.

Push the commission arrange-
ment you desire as being only a trial
arrangement for a month. If profit
for him falls below his expectations,
you can assure him that it will be
lowered or the unit replaced by
another.

Once this initial commission is
established, it will be easier to
maintain than if the deal has not
been made. And if the machine has
the potential you believe it has, he
will not be apt to ask that the
Original commission be_ lowered.

Pick the right time for your
presentation. The individual with a
good business day is more apt to be
receptive than where a bad one is
present. The location owner in a
pleasant frame of mind is in a better
mood for your effort than the man
who is not. No negotiation for that
better commission arrangement is
ever desirable unless you have
everything going for you.

Do more ‘‘educationa work
among location owners on your

‘hie

own costs of doing business. Most
of them have only the barest
conception of your overhead costs.
Nearly all consider them well below
what they actually are. This is a
subtle thing to be handled with
finesse. But if you approach it right,
it can put a lot of location owners on
your side.

You should avoid being too
‘slick’ in your approach. Keep your
commission arrangements flexible.
Otherwise, the location owner will
find you following set patterns, and
if this happens, it will be very
difficult to negotiate a_ better
arrangement. Like everyone else,
location owners don’t like to feel
that someone is trying to ‘put
something over’’ on him.

Hold down your eagerness to
place your machines in his business.
That invariably puts your own firm
in a bad bargaining position. The
program calling for a_ straight
business deal that can be of mutual
benefit is a lot easier to sell and do
so on a better deal.

“Why should he give me a better
commission?’’ That’s a good ques-
tion to ask yourself BEFORE a
contact is made. When you then
come up with answers from his
viewpoint, you have excellent argu-
ments to give that specific location
owner for a_ better commission
arrangement. It is advance prepara-
tion that will definitely pay off.

Try for a better commission each
time you replace an old machine
within any location. The individual
knows the cost difference is great.
In most cases he can see that your
maintenance cost will be larger.

Keep in mind, also, that he
definitely wants the replacement. If
he is made to believe a larger
commission determines whether or
not the new machines go in, you
have something going for you. It

need not be expressed as a
condition of replacement, only
implied.

Your business calls for you to
come up with promotions et.al. time
to time. Use each of these occa-
sions as the time to propose a better
commission arrangement. The loca-
tion owner sees each of these as
additional benefit for himself. He is
going to get more than before; so
he'll be more amenable to this
suggestion than he would earlier.

Negotiate each such effort as
being the policy to be applied to all
locations and not just his own. That
removes the objection that he
should grant you no better deal than
you are getting from his competitor
down the block.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

IV cadouws Games, Ine,

181 Commercial Street @ Sunnyvale, California 94086 ® Telephone (408) 732-8110

Memo From Harry Kureks Desk

SUBJECT: ADVERTISING -- AMO A SIAAPA
LILA 3

| know you've been selling MEADOWS games. Now this year why don't we
tell operators all over the world what we put into every game MEADOWS
builds and ships out our backdoor!

RELIABILITY + QUALITY + SERVICEABILITY = MORE $$$ IN THE CASHBOX
LONGER LIFE ON LOCATION ($$$)
LESS TIME IN THE SHOP ($$$)

Tell them .... IN OUR EFFORT TO PROVIDE ALL THE OPERATORS WITH THE VERY

BEST COIN OPERATED GAMES - AND - MAKE OUR DISTRIBUTORS PROUD T@ 'WAVE THE
MEADOWS BANNER', THIS IS THE WAY WE STARTED WITH FLIM FLAM AND WILL CONTINUE
TO BUILD ALL GAMES BY MEADOWS ----

Can you FIGURE OUT SOME WAY IN THIS AD HOW WE AT MEADOWS CAN TELL ALL
OPERATORS THAT WE DESIGN EVERY GAME WITH THE OPERATOR FOREMOST IN MIND.
TELL ALL THE OPERATORS AND DISTRIBUTORS THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN CONTINUE
TO GIVE THEM GAMES THAT THEY WANT, AND HOW THEY WANT’ THEM, IS WHEN THEY
TALK TO US AND TELL US WHAT THEY WANT. MEADOWS WANTS TO HEAR THEM!!!

INVITE EVERYONE ATTENDING THE A M O A _ IN CHICAGO, AND THE | AAPA
(PARKS SHOW) IN NEW ORLEANS TO COME BY TO VISIT WITH US AND PLAY OUR

NEW GAMNED<i.4c+dsbeeeeee sane es (WE'LL BE IN EMPIRE DISTRIBUTING'S AWARD-
WINNING BOOTH AT THE PARKS SHOW, WON'T WE?).

MEADOWS 3-D BOWLING ™
&
MEADOWS INFERNO ™ mn :

OCTOBER 1977 - OUR gr YEAR \ WJ

storage system

The American contingent at the Wurlitzer distributer meeting checks out
the latest phonograph from the German manufacturer.

Wurlitzer

distributors meet

At the international Wurlitzer
meeting October 3-4 at the Holiday
Inn in Malaga, Spain, W.N. Herle-
man, president of Wurlitzer (who

has been with Wurlitzer for 17

years), welcomed the truly interna-
tional gathering.

He stated that Wurlitzer set a new
sales record and commended every-

one for their sales effort over the
past year.

G.Seidel, chief engineer, said that

a salesman should be familiar with

the technical and competitive ad-
vantages of his equipment, and
gave a brief rundown of the

fundamental elements of the Wurlit-

zer phonograph.

He emphasized that the record
is based on the
principal that dust obviously collects

faster on records stored horizontal-

ly. Wurlitzer stores them vertically
even though it requires a bit more
space and more of a cost for the

manufacturer.

He said that 15 to 20 years ago the
main attraction of the jukebox itself
was with the mechanism. Now,
however, that fascination is gone
and the appeal is for the phono-
graph’s style and illumination. Wurl-
itzer is now marketing eight differ-

ent models because of the different
needs at different locations.

There is no such thing as a totally

electronic phonograph, he pointed
out, since the record-playing mech-
anism is basically mechanical. The
best place to go all-electronic is in
the area of control and storage
(credit system). This enables the
new Wurlitzer to play selections in
sequence of their selection rather
than their order in the placement in
the magazine.

He also stressed the importance
of carrying space for quick repair. In
years to come, he said, phonos of
both solid state control as well as
electro-mechanical will be available.

Klaus Telgheder had the honor of
introducing Wurlitzer’s latest in-
novation, a casette tape playing
juke.

The casette player, he pointed
out, is not to be misconstrued as a
successor to the jukebox but rather
each has its own place. The new
Wurlitzer unit, he added, can also
be operated in a coin-op version,
though it can also replace sound
systems and free-play-type loca-
tions.

The C-4 is a coin-op casette box
with a non-coin-operated selective
device. Wurlitzer says it will replace
a non-stop music installation for
background music, though they
reiterated that it is not in direct
competition with the bigger jukebox
market which is continuing to grow.

Parts
catalog

The Great Amusement Emporium
has completed its new 250-page
catalog of parts and supplies for the
coin machine industry.

The catalog, which can be
obtained free of charge by calling
1-800-525-8078, contains parts and
supplies for billiards, foosball, video
equipment, jukeboxes, and pin
games.

Simon, Lott
win tourney

The team of Steve Simon and
Johnny Lott captured first place in
the prestigious doubles event in the
$25,000 Eastern States Foosball
Championships which was _ held
September 2 through 5 in Colum-
bus, Ohio and sponsored jointly by
Shaffer Distributing and Tourna-
ment Soccer.

For their efforts, they shared first
place money in the open doubles
bracket of $4,000. Second place
finishers in the competition were
Jerry Knowles and Bob Thorud.
With their prize money, Simon and
Lott moved into second and third
places respectively among the lead-
ing money winners in the pro
foosball tour this year. Simon has
won $8,600 and Lott, $6,850. They
are both far behind the $21,900 total
of the leading money winner Doug
Furry, who is the reigning Super
Singles champ.

In the mixed doubles competition,
it was the team of Dan Kaiser and
Karin Gililland which shared the first
place money of $1,000. In the
singles competition, Mike Bowers
defeated Dan Kaiser to claim the
first place money of $1,000 in that
event.

Other tournaments which were
held as part of the four-day Eastern
States Championships were the
championship women’s doubles,
novice open doubles, novice mixed
doubles, novice singles, novice
women’s doubles, women’s singles,
rookie competition, and a pro-am
event.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

Pinball
schools

Empire Distributing Company will
sponsor back-to-back full-day pin-
ball service schools November 7 and
8 at the Midway Motor Lodge in
Green Bay, Wisconsin.

According to Bob Rondeau of
Empire Distributing in Chicago, the
two schools are being presented in
this way so that operators will have
an option on which day they can do
without their servicemen.

Two instructors from Bally Manu-
facturing will be represented at the
schools and will be assisted by
Empire Distributing personnel.
Those interested in registering for
one of the full-day schools should
call 414-468-5200.

Ed Shaffer (center) met recently with Matt Russ (left), who is the senior

.
Jere Fe

vice president of marketing for Rowe International, and Joe Barton, a
former president and now a consultant for Rowe. Shaffer is a distributor
of Rowe music and vending equipment in the Ohio, West Virginia, and

Kentucky area.

Rowe
meeting.

th
he

oe ers
itl.

fee
a 4

Paul Huebsch, Rowe’s general sales
manager, addresses the gathering at
the annual distributor’s meeting.

At the Rowe annual distributors’
meeting September 29 and 30 at the
Sheraton National in Arlington,
Virginia, Rowe introduced its new-
est phonograph, the R-82.

Merrill Krakauer, general manager
of Rowe’s Whippany, New York
distributorship, delivered the wel-
coming message to those attending
the meeting and set the tone for the
meeting by announcing that Rowe
fully intends ‘’to re-establish its
position as a dominant force in the
marketplace. ’’

He cited the fact that Rowe
experienced an improved growth
rate over the past twelve months
and added that Rowe’s latest
phonograph, the R-82, is a 100
percent change in the evolution of
the Rowe product line.

Krakauer noted that Rowe has
invested more than $2 million
toward the goal of improving its
product line with an eye toward
strengthening its engineering de-
partment and its research and
development department, which
would make the Rowe line more
reliable and, therefore, more com-
petitive.

He pointed out the success of
Rowe’s unit for last year, R-81,
which was the company’s first solid
state unit, and he added that this
year's phonograph marks a sub-
stantial change in styling and adds
some _ interesting new features.

He said that there is plenty of
opportunity in today’s market for

Rowe to increase its profits sub-
stantially not only because of the
excellent new Rowe phonograph
but also because of the uncertainty
surrounding the games business.
“The money,’’ Krakauer said, ‘’will
start seeping back into the phono
market.”’

Paul Huebsch, general _ sales
manager for Rowe, pointed out
many of the new additional features
in the Rowe phono, for instance,
the pin wheel popularity meter has
been replaced by an entirely new
solid state computer called Memo-
rec. The digital readout lists in either
ascending or descending order the
number of times each record has
been selected since the last reset.

He also noted that the R-82 has
an auto-play unit which can be set
to play a random selection after a
pre-uetermined period of no-play.
This, Hutch pointed out, should
invite interest and stimulate more
play in the jukebox. He noted that
this auto-play system has already
been tested for quite some time and
has not yet gotten any complaints.
Other new features include a
completely new cabinet change and
a sealed chamber which houses the
amplifier.

There were two workshop ses-
sions on the first day of the meeting.
And the guests were treated to
cocktails and a banquet that even-
ing. The second day of the meeting
started with a breakfast meeting for
Rowe distributors and that after-
noon there was a general meeting.

It's that time of year again, show
and tell at all the coming conven-
tions. In fact, this column is going to
tell you about some games to be on
the look-out for; as well as show
you some of the latest entries into
the old pinball market.

Before | get to that though, | want
to relate some information concern-
ing the old book. First off, thanks
for the incredible response so far. |
am pleased beyond belief at the
positive reactions so many of you
have had. In terms of availability,
the book is here— should even be at
the AMOA. But for orders beyond
this date, | want to give you all the
information you'll need.

Don’t: | repeat. Don’t send me
the money (I love getting it, but it’s
too much of a hassle to change
funds over to the publisher).
Instead, flood E.P. Dutton with your
orders. Specifically, send all ques-
tions and checks, etc. to the
following person: Leslie Elliott, E.P.
Dutton, 201 Park Avenue South,
New York, New York 10003, (212)
674-5900. |

If there’s any special inscription
you want on the book, let her know
and she will in turn let me know.
This doesn’t mean that | don’t want
to hear from any of you regarding
your feelings about the book, | do,
and welcome letters and calls
whenever they come. | may not
answer each letter as soon as | get
it, but | promise to get in touch as
soon as | can.

Once again, thanks for the
positive reactions to the book. I’m
glad that the last three and a half
years produced a work that’s so
complete in its coverage of the
pinball phenomenon.

But now, let’s get back to the
AMOA show. In fact, many of you
are probably reading this column at
the Hilton or back in your hotel
room. Well, here are some names to
roll around in your mind as you’re
walking the convention floors—
Cleopatra, Power Play, Butterfly,
Stingray, Hot Tip, Space Gambler,
Vulcan, Golden Arrow and Wipe
Out. There’s more to see, but with
these | think you'll see some
surprises. In fact, try to match the
manufacturer with the game.

Solid-state seems to be every-
where, and make sure to check
those hospitality suites for some late

breaking news. Set aside your time
to allow for visiting with old friends
and «u.so enough leeway for playing
the machines you want to get a
better fix on. You'll be surprised by
much on the floor, whether it be
pinball machines, video games or
even pool table breakthroughs.
With the addition of D. Gottlieb &
Company, the show is even more
representative of what's going on in
the design rooms across the world.

So get your walking shoes ready.
There’s much to see and do. And
when you're done with the show, let
a native son of Chicago give you
some spots to check out. For pizza,
a late night snack, the likes of which
you'll never have anywhere else, try
Uno’s or Duo’s which are nicely
situated between the Hilton and
the Continental Plaza just two
blocks west of Michigan Avenue.
For something slightly special, try
Sheraton’s Kon-Tiki Ports, which
offers great oriental food and is only
three blocks north of the Wrigley
Building. Try the Bakery on North
Lincoln Avenue, for some true
Chicago famous cuisine. Besides
these few places, the loop and near
north side offer some great dining
places. But man doesn’t live by food
alone.

See the sights of this great city,
architecturally one of the grandest
in the world. Take a drive up
Sheridan Road, through the north
shore to set your sights on the Gold
Coast. Check out New Town and of
course, the Rush Street area for
some of the city’s best night spots.
If you get the time, make a point to
see the Museum of Science and
Industry on Chicago south side. It is
well worth the visit and is truly a
remarkable experience. The art
museums in the downtown area are
also something to see, whether it be
the place of the “‘lions’’ on Michigan
Avenue or the Museum of Modern
Art that’s closer to the Hancock
Building.

| could go on and on about my
city, but suffice it to say that
Chicago is far more than just a
convention city. Go around and take
in the sights of this lake-front
metropolis. It is truly a great city
that’s worth looking at and experi-

encing.
But what about this month's
games you're asking. Well, I'll show

Show and Tell

you some surprises and also tell you
about some developments in this
the eleventh month of ‘77. Here
goes...

Williams’ ARGOSY

This four-player offers a departure
in design from recent Williams’
efforts such as Grand Prix and
Aztec. There’s a great deal of open
space and some different shooting
angles. But let’s take the game from
the top. |

One lane and two _ roll-over
buttons (which advance the bonus
points) begin the action. The center
lane is anything but an easy shot
and the top right kicking rubber is
also tied into the spinner, making it
lit or not lit. As Williams calls them,
the sling-shot stretched rubber
rebounds are at the top and
mid-right of the playfield, with the
latter also adding out-hole bonus
points.

Two thumper bumpers finish off
the top, which is really a nudger’s
paradise if anything is to happen in
the way of action and scoring. In
fact, actual playfield scoring on this
machine is low, everything is tied
into the out-hole bonus, which can
mean 200,000 points and the drop
targets. In this respect, the game is
very similar to Big Deal which also
didn't offer too many ‘playfield
points.”’

Anyway, the spinner on the right,
when lit, can mean points in excess
if the velocity of the ball is great
enough to keep the old spinner
spinning. The drop targets on the
left, four in all, can also mean good
things if you hit them all down, time
and time again.

A kick-out hole at mid-right of the
field is really the secret to points,
since it controls double bonus, extra
ball lane and also specials, depend-
ing upon what's been hit and what's
lit. The Gottlieb bottom offers little
or no nudging possibilities, but does
feature a left side gate that’s opened
once you go through that top
solitary lane.

In terms of play the game is a little
off balance in relation to previous
Williams’ games of late. ‘’Argosy’’
does have some good skill shots,
with most players going for the
targets at the left or the spinner and
kick-out hole at the right. The play is
quick, as is the case with Williams

November, 1977, PLAY METER

machines; and since the game is a
bit more open, players are going to
get very few points, or a lot of
points depending upon how good
and lucky they are.

Graphically, Argosy is in_ ship-
shape with a period piece that
lavishly displays subtle tones and
pastel images. It’s a difference from
the days of Space Mission, but also
striking enough to get people’s
attention.

Allin all, the game is pretty good,
not great, but a good standard

Williams’ effort. Something new

that | want to start is the following:
Argosy is fine for three-ball play,
just as long as it’s set with three
limits (somewhere in the 300,000;
600,000 and 8 to 900,000 point
range). If a player can’t get what he
wants to get in three balls, he won't
do it in five balls. Besides, there isn’t
that much to aim for on any one
ball, especially with only ten steps
on the bonus build-up.

Rating: ## %
PLAY METER, November, 1977

Atari’s AIRBORNE AVENGER

Get ready for Atari’s first pinball
machine. Actually their first two
weren't that bad (from a playing
standpoint), but this four-player has
it head and shoulders over its
predecessors. For the first time,
Atari has something that’s less
novelty and more pinball machine.

Additionally, the extra width is
finally utilized in a way that benefits
the play of the game as well as the
layout of the features. All in all, it’s a
giant leap in the right direction,

although there are still flaws, but
less glaringly than before.

The top offers two narrow lanes
at the center with sloping rubbers
toward the left and right. At the top
right one finds a little kick-back
kicker lane worth 1,000 or 2,000
points; just below it is a lane that
advances letters (three in all), but
we'll get into this later.

Two thumper bumpers are also at

By Roger C. Sharpe

the top which supply most of the
action in this area. A kick-out hole is
at the left which is more a rebound
shot rather than a straight flipper
shot. A center roll-over neatly
guarded by some posts offers
another build-up for letters. At the
right near the top there’s also
another kick-out hole with the same
metal strip behind it that frustrated
so many players of Gottlieb’s Spirit

of ‘76. Finishing off this right side,
one finds another thumper bumper,
a number target (3) just above, and

: gn >

(cae 25: oo 3 at

three lower lanes—the far right
returning the ball back to the
plunger, the middle sending the ball
down to the out-hole, and the left
sending the ball to the right flipper.

The left side features a spinner
setup with yet another kick-back
kicker lane that can mean bonus
points depending upon how many
of the A, B, or C targets have been
hit. Just below this entrance is
another numbered target (1), and
finishing off the side are yet three

more lanes. The far left sends the
ball down to the out-hole; the
middle features a gate which can be
open to salvage the ball; and the
right lane sends the ball down to the
left flipper. Last, but not least, a
center captive ball lane rounds out
the action. There’s more to the
features than just this rundown, but

you have to play the game to get the ©

feel’ of what is going on.

Playing Airborne Avenger is a test
unto itself since it’s really two
games in one. Remember when |
mentioned letters a while ago? Well,
this game offers you the chance to
spell out A-I-R-B-O-R-N-E A-V-E-N-
G-E-R, which is a mouthful without
having to spell it as well. But letters
alone is not the game if you want to
score points. For the latter, one

needs to hit those things that.

increase the out-hole bonus value.
Things such as the A-B-C targets
which give you double bonus.

The best shots in fact are those to
the spinner at the left and to the C
kick-out hole and three-letter ad-
vance lane at the right. By segment-
ing the game this way, you have a
better than even chance to ‘’beat’’
it; otherwise it can boggle the mind
since there is so much to digest on
the field. One of the problems of
playing the game is that you run the
risk of having a ball bouncing
around, but not scoring any points.

There are also some _ inherent
dead spots on this machine, where
the action just isn’t there. The
center captive ball offers side
rubbers that don’t really do anything
for a ball once it comes in contact
with it. Some of the angles are also
too steep for juggling the ball into
better position.

The top right with the kick-back
kicker and corresponding lane just
below, can be sluggish at times. The
same holds true when one is trying
for the number 2 target and its
complementary kick-out hole at the
top left, since the incline from this to
the flippers can mean instant death
(for the ball; not the player). The
bottom holds some good nudging
possibilities which more than offsets
tne top, where either you get it in
the lanes or you don’t. But at least
the attempt has been made to
optimize the available space in a
better fashion than was evidenced
on either The Atarians or Time 2000.
Once again, this game plays far
better.

Although the game, as I’ve played
it, is set for three-ball play, one for a
quarter—it would do better as a
five-ball game since there is so
much going on. The big factor to
consider with this will be repeat play
where someone keeps coming back,

not transient play where everyone
tries it once or twice and then
leaves. The game has the potential
to be a real winner if players were
given more time to adjust to it. Even
two three-ball plays wouldn’t solve
it, although it would be a step in the
right direction.

The big thing is to try it. | think
the earnings would increase sub-
stantially over what the game is
already doing. And isn’t that the
name of the game for all of you
“avengers?”

Rating: ###

Stern’s “PINBALL”

Remember this game from the
September issue where | reviewed
it? Well, it bears taking another look
because, if the picture is clear
enough, the back glass shows that
this is Stern’s first solid-state effort.
And on this game, it makes a big
difference in the play and action.
The thumper bumpers are more
powerful, as are the flippers, making
Pinball a far better effort than it
once was.

In terms of the logic, if you notice
a similarity with Bally, there’s good
reason. It’s the same_ system,
something that can only benefit this
company in its attempt for wider
acceptance and a new recognizabil-
ity. Also, check out their tune which
plays just before the game begins,
it's pretty cute.

When setting this machine, three-
ball play is in order. It works better
this way, since it can be a high
scoring game and has limited
features and shots for players to hit.
This last fact incidentally adds to the
repeat play that I’ve noticed in two
separate locations where the game
seems to be drawing quite well.

For a new, updated, solid-state
rating—Stern’s ‘PINBALL’ gets
bumped up another %. Because for
them, the game is a good one, and
an indication of their desire to
become more of a factor in the
industry.

Rating: ###

That’s really it this time around.
Next month look for the beginning
of AMOA games on review and
additional advice on how the games
should be set to maximize player
enjoyment and earnings potential.
Until then, | look forward to seeing
many of you at the show; and
hopefully autographing books wher-
ever | can. So rest easy. Keep those
games in good working condition.
Talk to the players and find out how
they feel, and lastly...Be well and
prosper.

Pete Petropoulos, Jr.
Jackie Barnett

My 32 years of sales and market-
ing expertise with a proven rec-
ord and image second to none
for vending, soft drink bottlers,
military bases world wide, music
and games, parks, malls, shop-
ping centers, attractions, depart-
ment stores, OCS, fast food out-
lets, hotels and motels, and all
phases of the coin-operated in-
dustry speak for themselves.

PETE PETROPOULOS

Add proven successful sales and
marketing techniques that will
build profits and stimulate a qui-
cker method. Pete Petropoulos
has always cut through red tape,
and will produce.

e©e0e
Inquire about our special depart-
ments covering shopping centers,
malls, game rooms, department
stores, distributors, music, game
and vending operators and nat-
ional accounts. The proven sales
products suppliers, brokers, dea-
lers and management of well
known companies have helped
many down through the years.

eeo0ec

International
Sales Marketing &
Management
Consultants

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
James Taylor
Chris Odom

MAIN OFFICE
1340 South Ocean Blvd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
305/942-8054

SOUTHEASTERN OFFICE
1354 Vernon North Drive
Atlanta, GA 30338
404/393-3819

November, 1977, PLAY METER

THE PARK SHOW
BOOTHS 108-110

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$295.°° SALE

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ARCADE GAMES as TV GAMES eh
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2730 W. FULLERTON AVE., CHICAGO, IL 60647
Phone: 312/384-2300 e OF) ») (-ban C71.) oor OF a LL O71 670)

What is ’’success” in the coin-op
industry?

Success starts with S,

Like Steve. Or Shoemaker.

Steve Shoemaker, owner of the
30,000-square-foot Redondo Fun
Factory pier arcade in Redondo
Beach, California, grosses more on
some single games annually than
some operators in a total arcade.
Many operators that visit the
Redondo Fun Factory, or hear about
it, wonder about the secrets of
Steve’s success. Is it all just the
location?

Super-casual Steve, who usually
looks like one of the local beach
bum natives, rather than a former
"Young Man of the Year’ in
Redondo Beach, injects his philos-
ophy. And he’s well-qualified to
philosophize, having majored in
philosophy and literature at the
University of Illinois.

| looked at kids’ rooms” began
Steve, commenting on his funky
decor that features everything from
baby shoes to a tombstone and
casket adorning the premises.
“What do kids like?’’ he asked
himself.

right?

Kids like to collect old signs,
Shoemaker concluded.

And Shoemaker already had an
ample supply. Prior to becoming an
amusement machine operator, he
owned the Sea Inn at the same pier
location. The Redondo Sea Inn was
a famous tavern because of thou-
sands of relics hanging on the walls,
ceiling, and anyplace where one
could be nailed. License plates,
signs, and other donated relics from
customers were the foundation of
that business, too, since it provided
a chain reaction like word of mouth
advertising. A person would bring a
buddy to show him all the crazy
things at the tavern and the buddy
would bring another buddy.

“When a person donates a sign,’
feels Shoemaker, ‘’they develop a
sense of belonging. If they feel they
belong, they will be less disruptive,
too.

“This principle has worked out
very well in’ my Redondo Fun
Factory. Everything here is donated.
| don’t buy signs and nothing is for
sale.”

The Redondo Beach Pier has

been rapidly developed within the
past five years from just a pier to a
major entertainment, social, restau-
rant, and tourist complex. Shoe-
maker is quick to emphasize he took
an area that was a loser and turned
it into a moneymaker— as well as an
asset for the city’s objectives to
promote tourism. The Redondo Fun
Factory, he states, has also cut
down on vandalism.

| would have to agree with
Shoemaker that he has improved
the area,’”’ said Bob Riley, Redondo
Beach city manager. ‘’And he has
improved the entire Pier area by
providing entertainment. | have
nothing but praise for his operation.
He is there every day and on top of
everything.”

Mayor Dave Hayward said they
have had no police problems and
praised Shoemaker’s contributions
to the community.

Mayor Hayward cited Shoemak-
er’s serving as a-former president of
the Chamber of Commerce and
board of directors member. He also
recalled the amusement operator
recently sponsoring an international

November, 1977, PLAY METER

table tennis tournament at the
Redondo Fun Factory and sending
the winner, a local young woman,
to Canada, where she won in her
class.

“We also appreciate how he
hosts students from our sister city in
LaPaz, Mexico, when they visit our
city,’’ Mayor Hayward stated.

What would the mayor recom-
mend to mayors of other cities
having to decide on a game center
license application in their city?

“It's not the game center that
should be an issue,’’ Mayor Hay-
ward began.

‘Get an operator that cares about
the community and maintains high
standards to make it a truly family
entertainment center.”

“Opponents of arcades say ‘It will
attract the wrong kind of person.’ ”
Shoemaker adds, ‘’but the converse
opinion of mine is an arcade,
properly operated, will give kids
with nothing to do, something to
do, thereby keeping them from
becoming the wrong kind of people.

“This proved to be true in
Redondo Beach. My place has had a
great effect in keeping them out of
mischief. A well-lighted, well-run
arcade-game center is an asset to
any community where the kids are,
or might be a problem.

Shoemaker began originally with
only 1,500 square feet and 35
machines. After a short (one week)
trial period of leasing machines from
another operator, he decided to buy
his own, which thrust him into the
business up to his shirt-sleeves.

When he first began, he could be
seen every night wheeling his tool
cart around, fixing machines, keep-
ing them fully operational. He also
carried the operator’s usual back-
breaking load of monthly payments
when he first started, although he
now has a reputation for paying
cash (and buys nearly every ma-
chine that comes on the market).

Now Shoemaker employs three
managers, one fulltime technician,
and about nine other employees.

The 1500-square-foot ‘’baby’’ has
matured to 30,000 square feet with
more than 400 machines. He also
has a_ Tilt-a-Whirl carnival ride,
bumper cars, skee balls, and such
attractions as Penny Falls games
from London. The latter grossing
$9,000 its first month led Shoemak-
er to make some innovations, apply
for patents, and build his own
version called Gravitation, which he
is now selling and leasing to other
operators.

Asides from the Penny Falls
qualifying as his most successful
game, what does Shoemaker con-
sider the other best deals he’s
bought?

PLAY METER, November, 1977

“Outhouse pitch,’’ he laughs,
explaining that is the toilet bowl
game he made that cost him $57 in
electronics and junk parts. ‘It took
in $358 the first week!”’

The Atari F-1 is the best arcade
game he’s ever seen. The best
pinball is the new Atari Airborne
Avenger, which he location tested
for the factory.

When a game is great, Shoemak-
er usually buys several and features
them together. And to emphasize
how great the new Atari Avenger is
in his opinion, he rates Evel Knievel
solid state pinball as “the greatest
multiple game we've used.”’ Shoe-
maker featured six Evel Knievels
lined up together at the Fun
Factory.

Shoemaker tests games for all the
major manufacturers, which is a
good trend, he agrees, for them to
test in operator’s locations. ‘’Many
of them seem to make a mistake in
having their equipment tested in
their own locations, like Bally’s
Aladdin Castles.

“Then they are asking an employ-
ee to be critical of their boss’s
merchandise. As a result, | still
detect production’ errors _ that
shouldn't have occured.”’

Shoemaker doesn’t like games
that require the customer to push a
button to start it, or have special
knowledge to play it. ‘Ten percent
of my customers don’t know what
‘Insert Quarter’ means,’’ he chuck-
led.

Some Japanese tourists visiting
the Fun Factory put a quarter in
Midway’s Guided Missile. They
didn’t press the button, but thought
they were playing the game,
because the visuals made them
think they were playing it, until they
saw the score was zero at the end.

“The best games are the ones

where you drop in a quarter and it 9

works,’’ Shoemaker repeats.

‘| also believe in buying the best
and most expensive games,’’ Shoe-
maker continues. ‘It took awhile to
convince myself that an $8,000
game was a good buy,” he grinned,
“but if you buy a game new, keep it
in top condition, used games will
retair their value amazingly well in
most cases.”’

The best operating tip he feels
he’s learned to pass on to other
operators is ‘put a fan in every
game you get.”

“| won't plug in a game until |
make sure it has a fan,” he said. "’|
use a squirrel cage type fan with no
screen in front of it. Keep the air
moving.

Bally's new solid state pinballs
are running hot because of the
electronics in a confined space.

“The best solid-state manufac-
turer thus far is Midway. I’ve never
had a board out of a Midway game.
They've been very reliable.”

The best financial step forward,
Shoemaker believes, was ‘’chang-
ing all pinballs to one play, one
quarter.”’

“It eliminates complaints that a
customer didn’t get his second
game and makes that game worth
more to the customer. It also
promotes less abuse on the games.”’

Shoemaker continues to develop
his Fun Factory and hopes to add
three more major carnival-type
rides. ‘’The rides are a tremendous
asset to an arcade,”’ he revealed.
“The rides increase traffic. People
will go greater distances to ride a
ride:‘than to play pinball.”

How about advice to other
operators that hope to obtain a lease
agreement with a redevelopment
agency or city?

“You have to be patient in dealing
with cities,” advises Shoemaker.
“They don’t make up their minds
fast. They don’t deal on profit-and-
loss statements, but the long-term
effect of what it will do for the city
ten, twenty, or fifty years from
today.”’

COIN MACHINE
TRAINING FOR
REPAIR
| MAINTENANCE
Trouble Shooting

° SLOTS

° PINBALLS

° ELECTRONIC AMUSEMENTS
° ARCADES

° BINGOS

° VIDEO ELECTRONICS ‘.
$ ° MUSIC and VENDING ~%

“Your future ts our business.”

Nevada Gaming

Schools, Inc.

3100 Sirius Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
Tel: 702/873-2345

Certified BALLY trainong school
sixth year

The emergence

of Gremlin

In two short years, the game
industry has become a technological
leader rather than a follower. And
during that time, Gremlin Industries
has emerged as one of its major
innovators.

The San Diego-based company
started out as a manufacturer of
oceanographic instruments in 1970;
then in 1973 it entered the coin
industry with the introduction of its
first wall game entry, Playball.

Since then, the company has
branched out in different direc-
tions— expanding its line from wall
games to thematic video games like
Hustle and Blockade to (its latest
direction) more sophisticated video
games like Depthcharge and Safari,
which will be on the floor at the
AMOA show. In _ addition, the
company now has a sister corpora-
tion, Noval, Inc., which is presently
marketing electronic equipment for
educational purposes.

The combined talents of Lane
Hauck, director of research and
development, and Agoston Kiss,
who was instrumental in the de-
velopment of the Digital Fourier
Analyzer, have been chiefly respon-
sible for Gremlin’s current micro-
processor design system.

The two men share a_ unique
working relationship. Hauck, an
extremely competent hardware en-
gineer, understands software; and
Kiss, who is a scientist and software
architect, has a similar understand-
ing of hardware. The challenge to
them is to put a game idea into an
efficient architectural microproces-
sor system.

They start by defining the archi-
tecture of the product. The architec-

By Lynne Reid

ture system designates which tasks
are to be accomplished by hardware
and which by software.

“Through this architecture,’’ ex-
plains Hauck, ‘’we have achieved
excellent performance with com-
monly available components.”’

Gremlin’s microprocessor system
has been through many transforma-
tions since first incorporated into its
third wall game, Fooswall. An
improved version of the system was
used in Gremlin’s new generation
video games: Blockade, CoMotion,
and Hustle.

Hauck, interested not only in the
theoretical ‘’Will it fly?’’ aspect of
the game but also in the more
pragmatic ‘’Will it sell?’’ aspect, has
taken additional interest in testing
the new games on location. The
purpose is not only to gather sales
and marketing information and
gauge how much the game can
make, but also to find out what kind
of player problems there may be
with the game, before going ahead
with a full production run.

“Player reactions are an excellent
indication of the game’s potential
popularity,’ reports Hauck.

A good example of how seriously
this market analysis is taken, can be
seen in the failure of Gremlin’s
Depthcharge One earlier this year.
Gremlin had released the game
earlier for on-location testing, with
hopes of a big production run to
follow quickly. However, the game
fared surprisingly poorly on loca-
tion, so much so that Gremlin had to
take a second look at the game. The
problem was, quite simply, that the
players had difficulty using the
Original player controls. The game

was modified with new player
controls, field-tested again, and
now Depthcharge is a hot new
game on the market.

As a result of Gremlin’s engineer-
ing expertise, there’s been sizeable
technological spinoffs into other
computer-oriented products. Be-
cause the marketing and engineer-
ing of these products is more varied
than the standard product line at
Gremlin, a separate corporation has
been formed to provide the hard-
ware and software support.

Noval, Inc., Gremlin’s sister cor-
poration, is presently marketing two
new revolutionary products. The
Noval 760 is a personal computer
system in a desk cabinet, and
Telemath is an innovative educa-
tional computer developed by Noval
and Gremlin for the San Diego
School District. Soon other prod-
ucts for both business and industrial
markets will be available—once
again, evidence that games manu-
facturers are becoming today’s
technological leaders.

Keen marketing plays an impor-
tant role in Gremlin’s success.
Selling games is basically handled
by C. Malcolm Bains and Marketing
Assistant Leonard De Groot.

An example of Gremlin’s unusual
flair and showmanship is the recent
cross-country promotional tour con-
ducted this past spring by Bain and
Gremlin Girl Sabrina Osment. Their
introduction of Hustle in this
manner proved so successful that
they’re out for a repeat performance
with Depthcharge this time.

In addition, a second Gremlin Girl,
Michele Anderson, has joined Sa-
brina in challenging to a game of

Inspection, promotion, experi-
mentation and recreation—all a
part of the Gremlin system.

Depthcharge every operator who
attends the shows. At the end of the
current tour, a drawing of all the
Depthcharge competitors will be
held with the winner receiving a
weekend in Las Vegas, all expenses
paid, plus $1,000 worth of chips.

"What the future holds for our
industry,”’ inserts Gremlin President
Frank Fogleman, ‘is simple— every-
one wants a winning game. New
games are the lifeblood of this
industry. That’s what keeps interest
and profits up. It’s an on-going
challenge for any manufacturer.”

Gremlin also prides itself on its
relations with its 200 employees.
Gremlin employees share stock
ownership. Presently they own one
percent of the company through a
trust fund, which pays them the full
worth of their stock after ten years
of service. The value of the stock is
based on the company’s year-end
profits.

Other employee-relations strong-
points are an in-house newsletter
called ‘Shop Talk’’ which reports
the goings-on the young company,
an employee-management _ lun-
cheon held on the first Thursday of
each month, employee educational
benefits, and the offering of man-
agement-level courses for potential
supervisors and managers within
the company.

"We hire good people,”’ says
Gerald Hansen, a vice president
with the company. ‘And we’re
trusting that their attitude toward
the company will show in quality
workmanship. We want this to be a
place where people want to work.
And creating a good climate height-
ens cooperation and efficiency.”

| ae
d PRODUCTS &

Table soccer

The new 1978 Dynamo Fussball
Table offers several design features
for improved looks, maintenance,
and play. Its reversible textured or
smooth-playing surface permits the
player to select the play surface he
prefers.

The recessed glass field is pro-
tected by a built-in light wood-fram-
ed tray, which prevents breakage, is
easily removed for cleaning or
repairs and requires no prop or stop.
A special feature of the table is the
metered ball trap which allows the
operator to preset the number of
balls to be played in any game—sev-
en, nine, or eleven.

A bonus feature is that an extra
set of balls can be stored within the
table in case of loss or damage.
Another feature of Dynamo’s new
table is its beveled sidewalls. This
unique engineering design keeps the
ball on the table, in play, during
bank shots and allows for a
powerful bank shot.

Atari
pinball

Atari's new Aijrborne Avenger
reaches the ultimate high in pinball
adventure and earnings. Player
excitement is unparalleled by the
dramatic target action, supersonic
sounds and a dynamic visual
attraction.

Airborne Avenger is the solid-
state four-player flipper that will
stand out in every location. The bold
graphics are an exciting visual
attraction that draws players to the
game. More target action is provid-
ed on the wider playfield with a
multitude of high scoring opportuni-
ties.

Airborne Avenger offers target
variety for every level of player
expertise. Players will be pleased
with the lightning-speed ball action
and futuristic targets on this game.

The options available to operators
include 32 score levels, adjustable
maximum credit levels, four differ-
ent ‘’Specials,’’ add-a-ball conver-
sion, a unique Tilt sound and more.

A wide variety of skill shots
maximize the overall appeal: the
spinner-kicker, the bonus kicker
lane which catapults the ball in play
to the top of the playfield, are
among the features.

Pinball by
Stern

Stern Electronics, Inc., has intro-
duced its first totally electronic
pinball game, Pinball.

Pinball, which is a_ popular
four-player game that was _ intro-
duced recently in the electro-
mechanical version, has a built-in
test program that displays all
microprocessor and memory func-
tions.

There is also displayed the high
score to date on the machine for
added incentive for players.

Among the features of this game
are the right eject hole which can
spot any one of five features, five
individual drop targets, a spinning
target, three pop bumpers and a top
eject hole.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

Foreign
pin game

Sonic has come out with another
four-player electro-mechanical flip-
per game which should earn more
than its share of quarters. > AWS

The game, Jai-Alai, which has as roe. ee
its motif the fast-moving sport of ffs JING ro
ricocheting balls and players with = : ams |
scoops, is an interesting two-flipper :

j3022 0 Of = . .§
“ \T) i-)f

game that features a spinning target
that opens onto a lane that leads
back up to the top of the playfield.

Two pop bumpers in the top
center of the playfield meet the ball
as it enters the playfield by way of
one of the three lanes. A hidden
kick-out hole on the left side
provides a skill shot for players, and
the tunnel on the upper right side of
the playfield fits in naturally with the
Jai-Alai theme of ricocheting balls.

Scoring in this game, like in
Sonic’s earlier games, comes in
1,000s not 100s. And the score-
board allows for six-figure scoring.
Other features of the game include
add-a-ball and a double bonus
which could score as high as
200,000 points.

The green and yellow colors of
the game make it an attractive
follow-up for the company which
has already featured Mars Trek and
Butterfly.

Dollar changer

Amusement Electronic Service of
West Palm Beach, Florida has come
out with two new products for the
coin-op industry—a dollar payout
changer sequence and a solid state
trigger module.

The dollar payout sequence Mod-
el DPS-1 can be installed in Rowe
bill changer Model BC-9. By allow-
ing all three hoppers to be filled with
quarters, this unit will triple the
change-holding capacity of the
machine. The unit will automatically
switch hoppers after each dollar
change payout.

Model DPS-1 installs in minutes
and is guaranteed for ninety days.

The solid state trigger module
Number SST-1 replaces R.O. con-
tacts in all Seeburg phonographs—
Electra models and up with solid
state components.

The module can also be installed
in minutes and protects Tormat
memory unit from excess voltage.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Gottlieb
two-player

Gottlieb has come out with a new
two-player flipper game, Super Spin
(It is the two-player version of
Gottlieb’s Jet Spin).

The game features a futuristic
motif and roto-targets and vari-tar-
gets for the players.

The roto-targets, located at the
top lefthand side of the playfield,
rotate to give the players various
scoring possibilities. Hit indicators in
front of the targets light to show
which of the three exposed targets
is hit. The center target advances
the bonus from one step to five
steps and scores up to 5000 points.
A special ‘’Star’’ roto-target scores
special when hit.

The vari-target, situated at mid-
playfield on the righthand side,
lights the bulls-eye target for special
score when hit to the top position.

Two targets— one just below the
vari-targets and one next to the
roto-targets— will score an extra ball
feature when lit.

The electro-mechanical scoring
display allows for a player’s score to
go up as high as 199,000 points
because of Gottlieb’s 100,000-point
light.

The backglass and playfield are
primarily blue-green with yellow
streaks coming from the futuristic
jet board exhausts.

The game also comes with a
kick-out hole, two pop bumpers,
and three lanes at the top of the

playfield.

{ PRODUCTS

pool table

Dynamo’s new pool table comes
in three distinctive finishes—rose-
wood, black on black, and mirrored
and black.

The game features a regulation
size (2 % -inch) cueball that has been
homogenously and phonicly cast as
well as dynamically balanced to
eliminate any imbalancing weights.
The new models also offer a built-in
chalk and drink deflector to capture
chalk, liquids, or any other debris.
This allows a ball to roll freely
through the ball trap without
hanging or clogging.

Another feature of the table is the
special leg levelers which do not
have to be removed during installa-
tion, thus cutting down on the time
it takes to set up a Dynamo table.

Tin Man

Robocon, which was originally
developed in Japan five years ago,
is now being distributed in the
United States by Universe Affiliated
International, Inc.

Robocon is a highly-sophisticated
piece of equipment which acts by
remote control. The robot walks,
talks, nods, has flashing eyes, and is
available in all colors.

The remote-controlled machine is
5 feet, six inches tall and two feet,
two inches wide. It weighs 200
pounds.

The Robocon-radio-wave control
robot can be controlled from as far
away as 7/75 yards. The control
system is a_ radio-wave control
transmitter, and the whole package
comes complete with a set of spare
parts.

Video
kiosk

A tremendous response from
shopping center trade shows has
thrust Bob Portale Jr. fulltime into
manufacturing, selling, and leasing
his Specialty Entertainment video
kiosk. He and his partner, Rick Page
of Stanton, California, are seeking
operators and representatives
worldwide to handle the demand.

Portale, son of the late, well-
known Los Angeles distributor Bob
Portale, has been a street operator,
but has his own route up for
sale—due to demand of the video
kiosk. Inquiries are coming from as
far away as Canada, Puerto Rico
and Australia.

The $16,000 unit includes five
games of the purchaser’s choice,
along with a Standard bill changer
that holds up to $600 in change. The
frame is steel-constructed with
%-inch plywood and anodyzed
aluminum. Tempered glass, rather
than plexiglas, covers the monitors.

Portale said one of the biggest
advantages in operating this kiosk is
that the operator can write some
“highly advantageous percentage-
of-the-gross leases in his favor.”
Lack of competition will be a factor
at that price. Earnings up to $1500 a
week are reported from shopping
malls, Portale said.

All of the kiosk games are
available in a variety of Formica
colors. Flat monthly leasing rates
can be negotiated and trade-ins of
other games are accepted. Also,
custom orders of kiosks to feature
up to nine games and a changer are
possible.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

Seeburg’s
latest

The new Seeburg—160 phono-
graph offers an unusual graphic
design concept combining light,
color, and action. The 160—selec-
tion phonograph features a back-
lighted panel in blues, oranges,
reds, and magenta, trimmed _ in
chrome.

The design elements are further
enhanced by a cascading light
fountain which flickers dramatically
down the front center panel top-to-
bottom.

Two matched exponental horns
provide wide angle dispersion of
mid-range and _ high-frequency
sounds are housed in the upper
portion of the console cabinet.

Two woofers are located in the
lower position to assure a superbly
rich bass response. Together with
the horns in the upper part of the
console and crossover network, this
system achieves a musical environ-
ment that surrounds the location
with full-range stereo sound.

The music selection play center
features a ten-button digital selec-
tor, coin slot, provisions for dollar
bill acceptor, and an all-coin ac-
cumulator panel.

A _computer-type __ three-digit
“now playing’ selector panel locat-
ed in the music selection play center
flashes numbers as the record
mechanism scans. The number of
the musical selection being played
remains lighted allowing the custo-
mer to identify the title for replay.

In addition, for the location where
quadraphonic sound is desired, a
Seeburg—160 quad _ conversion
package has been designed to
achieve a quad result. The package
consists of four lighted speakers,
exclusive quadraphonic decoder
and quadraphonic lower assembly
panels.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Two new
ones from
Amutech

Amutech, Ltd. will introduce two
new products at the upcoming
AMOA show.

The first game, The Great White
Buffalo Hunt, is a twin rifle shoot
which is non-video using all solid
state circuitry and a microprocessor.
The game has realistic sounds of
animals moving in a natural environ-
ment. The player gets an unlimited
number of shots for a specified time
(which is operator controlled). High
score will entitle the player to
additional time.

Spaceace is a unique space game
which uses a microprocessor with
space sounds and a 25-inch color
monitor. The player guides his
space ship by rocket bursts and
combats his opponent with phazer
fire.

He also has the opportunity to
utilize hyper space to avoid destruc-
tion by his opponent. The game is
time controlled with the operator
option.

sane

There is a growing unrest that one
senses in traveling around the
arcades of the land. It’s coming
from the players and what they’re
saying isn’t going to be popular with
most of you who are about to read
this article. To further complicate
matters, | tend to agree with the
players, which obviously isn’t going
to raise my stock. But then I’ve
never shied away from something
just because a few toes would feel
some pressure.

Let me state at the onset, that the
games (pinball machines, what
else?) are pretty damn good lately.
There seems to be something for
everyone; in fact, there’s almost too
much for everyone, but that’s for
discussion at another time. The
issue revolves around the playing of
today’s games and my own particu-
lar fascination of what | perceive to
be the video games’ dictating of
how pinball machines are to be
operated. So as not to confuse
anyone, I'll rephrase that since it’s
an important notion.

Video games time out a different
rate for the player—a minute or
even minute and a half of play for a
quarter. It’s neat, quick and highly
profitable for both operator and
distributor alike, not to mention the
manufacturer. So along come tnese
“new” games and suddenly the old
standard is shaken. Pinball ma-
chines with their ’’sluggish’”’ two- to
three-minute play, with (heaven
forbid) two plays for a quarter, is no
longer satisfactory. Okay. I'll accept
the premise that competition has a

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way of changing things. But in
truth, the games never competed
between themselves. There has
always, and always will be room for
both video games and _ pinball
machines.

The problem is that the pinball
machine is suffering from this
convoluted competitive logic. The
cry that arose was to speed up play,
since more play meant more pay.
And so the time came when the
pinball machine altered its face, not
physically but perceptually.

The three-ball game was born and
with it went any sense of reason or
rational thinking. Everything’s three
ball. After all, the operator was no
fool, he knew that if he put a three
ball game next to a five ball game,
the latter would outdraw_ the
former—but obviously not fast
enough to suit him.

Move this thinking to an add-a-
ball territory such as New York City
or Wisconsin, and you begin to
sense the real trouble. There are no
extra games to win, only balls (if you
get lucky, you can even make it a
“five ball’’ game).

But that’s bearable you might
say. Players are still playing the
games. However, change the two
plays for a quarter three-ball game,
to one three ball game for a quarter
and what you have are many
dissatisfied players. The reason is
that pinball isn’t a game of speed
played on a television screen or
behind the wheel of a make-believe
car. It’s a medium of entertainment
that is to be savored, one that

demands time in order to under-
stand and appreciate its subtleties.

The difference between these two
categories of games is clear and yet
one is faced with a dilemma that the
industry itself has created. And
unfortunately, the players are the
losers. Now before | madden all of
you, I’m not asking for straight
five-ball or even three-ball play, nor
am | talking about one, two, three or
one hundred plays for a quarter. |
am talking about a sensible ap-
proach to pinball for both players
and industry members alike, some-
thing that everyone can live with...
Honest.

What | am advocating is a
sensible evaluation of the pinball
machines that enter through your
doors. In many ways it’s an
extension of what | do when |
review games, and because it is I’m
going to begin incorporating it in my
“Critic’s Corner.” The idea _ is
simple. Look at the game. Play it.
See how the features are tied
together and what a player has to do

‘in order to get a free play or an extra

ball. Let me give you an example.

Remember Bally’s Night Rider? |
think most would agree that it was a
pretty decent game. On three-ball
play, all you have to do in order to
light the bottom out-lanes is to get
one bank of drop targets down—
that’s it. Get down a bank of drop
targets a second time and the
special pops. Not bad you say?
Players liked the action of the game?

Well, take this same game and
turn it into a five-ball machine and
suddenly you have a very different
playing game. You have to get both
banks of drop targets down in order
to light the bottom lanes; do it again
and the special pops. The difference
is obvious. You have to work twice
as hard on a five-ball game. You
can’t favor one side or the other,
and instead, have to play a more
balanced game of pinball. All it is is
two more balls and the entire game
changes. More importantly, it offers
the player a greater challenge,
something he can’t master over-
night. Think about it. How long will
the extra two balls last? Isn't it
worth it for the increased play? And
if you don’t think play wi// increase,
try it.

The list is endless where games
can better be gauged if they’re at
five-ball versus three-ball play. Lest
you think my idea goes in only one
direction, it doesn’t, let me say that
the opposite also holds true. Some
games are better as_ three-ball
games. Many of the recent Wil-
liams’ machines are better off at
three ball. Bonus points and fea-

November, 1977, PLAY METER

tures are easily attained in this
format and the game doesn’t lose
anything.

The question remains though
about three-ball versus _five-ball
play. | for one am a firm believer in
the credo that the player shouldn’t
get screwed any more than he
already does. Give him (and her) the
chance to get to know the game.
The way it is now, too many players
are feeling that they're getting
gypped. And they are, especially in
New York City with its one play for a
quarter, three-ball play.

If pinball is to get new players
interested, if it is to keep the young
players (who don’t have all that
much money to spend), the games
are going to have to be set a bit
more in the player’s favor. It’s
ludicrous to see a three-ball game
set with five-ball limits for specials,
and worse, with only two levels to
hit. How often has it been where |
see a game (three-ball) set at
100,000 and then 240,000 points,
and that’s it. Give the player a
break, by giving him another limit,
or at least give him two more balls to
play. The extra minute of play, or
even minute and a half, isn’t going
to break the operator.

If you can’t live with this concept
then try straight quarter play on a

five-ball game. With inflation, it’s
more than fair to everyone. If a
player can’t do what he wants to do
in five balls he doesn’t deserve any
more. I’d go so far as to say that this
is the ideal situation for today’s
player. Some would argue for two
three-ball games for a quarter. Well,
the extra ball doesn’t really amount
to that much. Even the extra game
doesn't mean too much. A five-ball
game isn’t boring, doesn’t take that
much more time.

The last two points are what one
hears all the time, from those sold
on the idea of three-ball play. Well,
again it depends upon the machine.
Each one has to be judged on its
own merits. But somehow play has
got to increase on a machine when
it gives the player a bit more time to
test out the angles and get a ’’feel’’
for the way the game is playing.

All | ask is for each of you to
consider this. The idea isn’t that
revolutionary. It’s sensible for to-
day’s player. It can mean more
money in the cashbox, since the
players will react if they know
they're being treated fair and
square. Take the chance and put a
five-ball machine next to a two
three-ball game machine. See how
they do against each other when it
comes to earnings. The cream will

rise to the top.

The players will support it with
their quarters, and isn’t that really
the name of the game? Let’s not
lose sight of the people who are
keeping this business alive. They
deserve a fair shake and some extra
concern on your part. After all,
where would you be_ without
them...probably with a lot of games
where it didn’t matter what they
were set at.

But that’s not the real world, and |
for one think that the time has come
to get all of you thinking about your
customers: those grown-ups and
kids who keep you in business and
don’t really ask that much from you
in return.

| don’t know how any of you are
going to take this little bit of advice.
You can tell me at the show (and I’m
sure many of you will) and you can
write in to the magazine with your
feelings. Tell me what you think
about this proposal. Let me know if
you agree or disagree and tell me
the reasons behind your decision.

It's something that’s got to
benefit all of us. So don’t write it off
without giving it a chance. Trust
me...better yet, trust your instincts.
Besides, what's two extra balls in
the long run; maybe everything,
maybe nothing.

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(513) 223-8161

Out front in Digitial Testing

Convenience store owners decide on the practicality of coin-op games in

their locations.

Possible new locations?

Atari's hospitality suite at the
National Association of Conven-
ience Stores annual meeting in
Toronto was continuously crowded
with enthusiastic players— conven-
ience store owners. Many store
owners were introduced for the first
time to the idea of having an
operator place games in_ their
location. The interest and response
was highly favorable.

Four games were displayed in the
Atari Suite— Time 2000, Starship 1,
Drag Race, and Super Bug. Bro-
chures on other current games were
distributed to store owners as well.
Howard Rubin, eastern § regional
sales’ manager, and Carol Kantor,
manager of marketing services,
represented Atari at the meeting
September 19-21.

This was the first time a game
manufacturer has displayed prod-
ucts to the Convenience Stores
Association. ‘‘Because of the over-
whelming response we had at this
show, we are confident that opera-
tors will have the potential to open
2000 to 3000 new convenience store
locations in the United States and
Canada. We recommend that oper-
ators contact store owners in their
areas in the near future to pursue
this opportunity for expansion,”
said Howard Rubin.

At this meeting store owners had

the opportunity to talk to each other
about the potentials of games in
their locations. They discussed the
added revenue possibilities and the
concept of utilizing operators for the
games.

The possible negative factors of
loitering and vandalism were also
discussed. Store owners realized
that with good management these
problems would not be maior. It is
similar to having young people
come in to buy the frozen drinks and
other snack items. In a presentation
to the association members, South-
land Corporation expressed its
enthusiasm about the games in its
7-11 stores and gave other store
owners an indication of the potential
increased revenues per square foot
attributed to the games.

Atari representatives at the NACS
were there to give store owners
information about their products
and the coin-op game _ industry.
Location representatives were refer-
red to distributors in their local area
to arrange for placement of games
in their stores.

In addition to enjoying the games
in Atari's hospitality suite, the
convenience store people became
aware of the income potentials and
how the game operating business
can benefit their profitability.

Sega earnings

Sega Enterprises, Inc. recently
reported net earnings of $273,000,
or 14 cents per share, for the fourth
quarter ended June 30, 1977
compared with $534,000, or 27
cents per share, in the same period
for 1976.

Net earnings include a foreign
exchange translation gain of
$151,000, or 8 cents per share, in
the fiscal 1977 fourth quarter and a
foreign exchange translation gain of
$22,000, or one cent per share, in
the 1976 quarter.

The increased revenues reflect
the inclusion of Muntz Manufac-
turing and Kingdom of Oz business-
es, which were acquired during the
fourth quarter of fiscal 1976, and a
new activity, Sega Centers, which
the company started during the
second half of fiscal 1977.

For fiscal 1977, net earnings were
$347,000, or 18 cents per share,
compared with $1,916,000, or $1.00
per share, in fiscal 1976. Net
earnings include a foreign exchange
translation gain of $432,000, or 23
cents per share, in fiscal 1977, and a
foreign exchange translation loss of
$226,000, or 12 cents per share, in
the restated fiscal 1976. Revenues
for the year were $29,997,000 versus
$24,229,000 in fiscal 1976, with the
increase attributable to the acquired
and new businesses.

Sega attributed the declines in net
earnings primarily to costs associat-
ed with the company’s manufac-
turing operation in the United
States, coupled with disappointing
sales in the United States amuse-
ment game market. As a conse-
quence of the weaknesses in United
States operations, the company
lowered selling prices and reduced
the carrying amount of game
machines in inventory.

Operations in Japan, the com-
pany’s principal market, were profit-
able in fiscal 1977, but year-to-year
Operating income declined due to
lower gross profit margins and
increased selling, administrative and
general expenses.

In the United States, Sega
opened three new family-oriented
amusement centers under the Sega
Center name during the fourth
quarter, adding to the first Sega
Center opened earlier in the fiscal
year. The company expects to open
two additional Sega Centers during
the first quarter of the new fiscal
year.

November, 1977, PLAY METER

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AMUSEMENT TRADES EXHIBITION ‘78

LONDON + LISBON

1 Week Tour $849

INCLUDING:

* Round trip air transportation via Pan Am and TAP
between New York — London Lisbon — Faro
New York.

* In-flight meals.

* 3 nights de luxe accomodations in London.

* 3 nights de luxe accomodations in Lisbon.

* Continental breakfast each morning at your hotel.

* All hotel service charges and taxes.

* Meeting and assistance and transfers between airports

and hotels.

* Orchestra, stall or dress-circle seats to a London stage

show.
* 1/2 day sightseeing tour of London.

* 1.2 day sightseeing tour of Lisbon.

* Free guide-book to restaurants, nightspots and tourist

sights in London.

* Free membership and admission to three London
casinos (subject to British gaming regulations).

London

or Le
“

Midway International

Travel Service, Inc.

Midway National Bank Building
530 South Carrier Parkway
Suite 302

Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
(214) 263-3196

DEPARTING JANUARY 22

the Europear
Industries and the British
Sporting Goods Association invite you
to attend the thirty-seventh Annual Brit:
ish Amusement Trades Exhibition at the
Alexandra Palace, London.

culleagues of
Amusement

This upcoming exhibition offers
more than ever before. Whether you are
a manufacturer or dealer . whether
you take the trip for pleasure or business
or both, you will accomplish more in
this action-packed week with your col-
leagues from overseas markets and sour:
ces, at more economical costs and in less
time than you could on your own
You'll find the opportunity to see a large
range of equipment, hardware, fittings,
accessories, products, technical advance:
ments, and amusement ideas to help op:
timize your growth and profit. Plus
you'll enjoy a Super-Holiday in Englanc
into the bargain! Theaters and shows
great restaurants and superb shopping.

And if all that isn’t enough, we're go-
ing to take you on to Portugal to share
an adventure in happiness. Portugal is
just about the most unspoiled anc
friendliest country in Europe, rich in cul:
ture and history, with beautiful country-
side and beaches. It is packed with plea-
sures grand and simple. These, plus de
luxe hotels, great golf courses, the ele-
gant casinos and amusements of fashion:
able Portugal combine to provide a sup-
erb Post-Exhibition vacation.

Superb food in elegant surroundings,
the heady scent of mimosa dripping
from the trees and the warm and gentle
attitude of the people is what makes é
trip to Portugal different from a visit to
any other country in Europe.

Don’t miss it . . . Make your reserva-
tion todav!

2 Week Tour $1149

INCLUDING:

* Round trip air transportation via Pan Am and TAP

between New York — London — Lisbon — Faro

New York.

In-flight meals.

* 5 nights de luxe accomodations in London.

* 3 nights de luxe accomodations in Lisbon, Portugal.

* § nights de luxe accomodations on the Algarve Coast,
Portugal.

* Continental breakfast cach morning.

* All hotel service charges and taxes.

* Meeting and assistance and transfers between airports
and all hotels.

* Orchestra, stall or dress-circle seats at two London
Stage shows.

* 1/2 day sightseeing tour of London.

* 1/2 day sightseeing tour of Lisbon.

* Golf facilities at the famous Vale de Lobo Golf Club

adjacent to your hotel in Faro.

Free guide-book to restaurants, nightspots and tourist

sights in London.

* Free membership and admisssion to three London
casinos (subject to British gaming regulations).

Portugal

me 8h See ee ae 88 Ba

We would like to join one of these great London/Lisbon Tours. Please send
us your color brochure with detailed information and booking applications.

NAME:
COMPANY:
ADDRESS:
CTY:

PHONE: (____)

Total of
Participants

StATe: ZIP:

Advance
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PLAYFIELD
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XIN CHANGERS ¢ SWITCH
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CLEANER

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oduct for all Vending Machir
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3ER: HARMFUL OR FATAL IF
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Carefully offer cauty n
‘P OUT OF REACH OF CHILORI

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NTAINS 18 Fl weeded DISTRIBUTORSHIPS
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EEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILOR
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8 1S FC OZ (1 PT 2 OCW TION: HARMFUL IF SWALLOW!
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UTION: HarmFut iF swALLow
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EEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDRE
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A COMPLETE LINE OF CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS
FOR THE VENDING MACHINE INDUSTRY

“Products To Keep Your Equipment Running Smooth and Looking Great’

PLAYFIELD CLEANER: GENERAL PURPOSE CLEANER:
For all Playfield areas — 32 FL. OZ. package A mild broad use surface cleaner.
with easy grip handle. |

VENDING MACHINE MECHANISM CLEANER: GLASS CLEANER:
Non-Residual, for coin changers, relays, For all glass surfaces.
switches and contacts.

LEMON OIL POLISH: VENDING MACHINE SILICONE SPRAY:
A silicone emulsion to shine and polish all A sticking preventative for all Vending
wood and metal surfaces. Mechanisms.

All Items, other than Playfield Cleaner, are 18 FL. OZ. in 20 OZ. Cans. The package is non-pressurized
utilizing Aerosol cans with pump type actuators. As a result you get much more product than in a com-
parable size aerosol and therefore longer product life.

Your equipment is a serious investment — Keep it working using products designed for it — ADVANCE
has them in stock and ready for shipment.

ADVANCE DISTRIBUTING COMPANY
2820 N. Grand Blvd
ST. LOUIS, MO. 63107
(314) 652-1600

Toll free
phone

Equipment Systems and Devices,
Inc., a Philadelphia manufacturer of
ESD multiple price three and four
coin slides, money boxes, coin kits
and locks has announced that it has
a new toll-free phone service
(800-523-1510). The service is avail-
able to distributors and owner
operators in all 49 states with the
exception of Pennsylvania.

In making this toll free service
available Harvey Gitlin, president of
the firm, commented “‘It is vital in
today’s market for the manufacturer
to maintain an open line of
communication with the customer.’”’

Bally retains TRG
Communications

Bally Manufacturing Corp. of
Chicago has retained TRG Com-
munications, Inc., as its. sales
promotion agency. Initial emphasis
has been placed on programs for the
company’s coin-operated and home
pinball machines and its subsidiary,
Aladdin’s Castle, a chain of 106
coin-operated entertainment cen-
ters in major malls in the United
States and Canada.

According to the announcement
by Bally director of marketing, Ross
B. Scheer, TRG’s current efforts will
be directed to the introduction of
the company’s new Evel Knievel
pinball machine.

Manufacturer
establishes
medical center

NSM and _ Lowen-Automaten
have together invested in a medical
center where all their employees can
(free of charge) consult specialized
doctors. And this is not only in the
case of illness but also for preven-
tive measures.

The medical practitioners have
undergone special training and
investigate the places where people
work in order to improve the work
situation.

For instance, they check to make
sure the secretaries have the proper
chairs—not too low, not too
high— and also that the people work
in rooms with good ventilation, etc.

Marshall Caras, vice president of
marketing for D. Gottlieb & Com-
pany, announced recently the avail-
ability of the new Gottlieb Parts
Catalog for 1978.

Caras took the opportunity to
make ‘’statements of position” in
connection with the release of this
new Parts Catalog. Said he, ‘’Gott-
lieb fully intends to continue pro-
duction of electro-mechanical flip-
per pinballs in the future coincident-
al with production of ‘solid state
controlled’ pinballs to be introduced
this fall.’

Gottlieb parts catalog

Caras added, ’’As has been the
policy in the past, Gottlieb will
continue to supply parts, service
and circuits for at least five years
after production on all _ flipper
pinballs regardless of the controller
system used. There will be no such
thing as a prematurely obsolete
Gottlieb game; therefore, resale
value can be expected to remain
high.”’

The new catalog is available from
all Gottlieb distributors and from the
factory in Northlake, Illinois by mail.

C.A. ROBINSON & CO.

The largest game distributor in the west, representing only the finest

equipment in the industry.

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THE BEST ARRAY OF USED GAMES IN THE BUSINESS

DOMESTIC AND EXPORT INQUIRIES INVITED

C.A.ROBONSON &CO.

2301 Wset Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, Calif. 90006
(213) 380-1160

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Exclusive Importers
8821 S.E. 17th Ave.
Portland, Oregan 97202
Distributorships Available;
Call Toll Free: 1-800-547-8446
See us at the A.M.0.A. Show
Booths--C-10, C-117

25 Years

For 25 years NSM has been
making coin machines for the
operator. Coin machines to
make life easier for the
operator and bring enjoyment
to the players. It is befitting
that exactly this year

NSM has launched the first
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Exclusive world distributers:

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phone: 312-787 5016

PLAY MEER
UPDATE

Volume 3/ No. 20

For the first time in the 28-year
history of the JB (jukebox) Awards,
one recording artist has walked off
with three honors.

Kenny Rogers, for his hit single
“Lucille,” which is on the United
Artists’ label, won the JB Awards for
record of the year, top country
record of the year, and artist of the
year. The announcement was made
recently by Fred Granger, executive
vice president of the A.M.O.A.

The A.M.O.A., which will make
the awards presentation at its annual
convention in Chicago later this
month, each year asks its members
to nominate the five records which
made the most money for them in
their jukeboxes. This year there were
sixteen candidates selected by the
awards committee, but the final
balloting was done bu the member-
ship of the A.M.U.A. In addition,
each member was asked to nominate

Bally appoints
field engineer

Darrell J. Blendowski, tormer
products engineering manager for
Electra Games, Inc., has joined
Bally's marketing department as
marketing field service engineer.

He will be on the road, teaching
service schools on Bally's new
electronic pinball games—Evel
Knievel and Eight Ball.

Blendowski’s background in elec-
tronic production testing, electronic
video game design, and teaching
many electronic service schools, said
a Bally spokesman, will be a valuable
asset to Bally's marketing field service
organization.

his choice of artist of the year.

The five categories for this year’s
awards were top pop record, top soul
record, top country record, top
recording artist of the year, and
record of the year. The record of the
year goes to the record which
A.M.O.A. members vote for as
having made the most money in their
jukeboxes.

Recent record of the year awards
have gone to Freddy Fender for
“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”
(1976), Freddy Fender for “Before
the Next Teardrop Falls” (1975), and
Charlie Rich for “The Most Beautiful
Girl in the World” (1974).

The winner of this year's top soul
record of the year went to “Car
Wash” by Rose Royce of Warner
Brothers. The top pop record of the
year was Glen Campbell's “Southern
Nights” which is on the Capitol
Records’ label.

October 10, 1977
“Lucille” sweeps JB Awards

Aiso, a special posthumous award
was given to Elvis Presley for his
contribution to the jukebox industry.
Said Fred Granger of this award: “It
was a special award that will probably
never be given again to any other
performer.”

The other leading candidates for
this year’s JB awards are as follows:
Jimmy Buffett, “Margaritaville”; Leo
Sayer, “You Make Me Feel Like
Dancing”; Fleetwood Mac,
“Dreams”; Engelbert Humperdinck,
“After the Lovin’”; Waylon Jennings,
“Luckenbach, Texas”; Rod Stewart,
“Tonight's the Night”; Eagles, “Hotel
California”; Barbra Streisand, “Ever-
green”; K.C. and the Sunshine
Band, “I'm Your Boogie Man”;
Waylon Jennings and Wiilie Nelson,
“Goodhearted Woman”; Stevie
Wonder, “Sir Duke’; Marvin Gaye,
“Got to Give it Up”; Stevie Wonder,
“| Wish.”

The newly-electéd officers of the Georgia Amusement and Music
Operators Association (G,A.M.O.A.) are as follows (from left, bottom
row) Frank Cannon Jdr., president; and L. Lee Martin, secretary; (from
left, top row) John Martin, treasurer; and James Crews, vice president.
The Georgia association formed in August of this year.

Announcing

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MAIL TO: Play Meter, P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, LA 70184

TECHNICAL TORICS ort’ Bandy Fromm
Supertank modifications

Since the Supertank modification
was published in June of this year,
Operators across the country have
been finding new earning power in

their games. By performing a few
blo-up 1 e

simple changes, weekly collections
have been doubled for considerable
N7-3 hall periods of time. In fact, one of our
local operators claims that his
modified tank has made a minimum
of 600 extra dollars over the summer
mene alone! (Those of you that haven't as
VRST 1 L9°5 yet modified your own games, take
note!)
Pr Because of Tank’s versatile de-
sign, a number of different modifi-
cations can be performed. This
month, we'll take a look at two more

1 modifications that can be used in

aa addition to the Supertank mod.

blo-up 2 These new modifications can be
N7-5 performed separately or together to
= help snatch up the quarters that are

floating around in the lint ridden
pockets of America.

siiciaai 13
VRST2 L12-9 MODIFICATION ONE

As a not-so-good Tanksman
(Tanksperson?), it has always frus-
trated me that my opponent is able
to zero in and bombard the heck out
of my Tank at close range. As soon
as | recover from one explosion | get
M13-10 hit again. I’m forced either to turn
tail and run, or face my opponent
and exchange hits for the remainder

/\ 1N914 of the game.
N7-3 This first modification will cause a
blo-up1 5 4 100 |, destroyed tank to disappear after
5) 02 being hit by a shell or running into a
C9-10 fire1 mine. A new tank will then appear in

the starting position and play
resumes as normal. This creates a
new strategy for the experienced
tank player, as well as giving less
equally suited opponents a more
enjoyable use of the game.

TANK 2 The circuit itself is quite simple
B10-10 (see Figure One). We'll look at the
circuit for Tank 1 only, since the
circuit for Tank 2 is identical. When

TANK 1
B10-1

N7-5 1 a tank is hit or runs into a mine,
blo-up2 8 blow-up goes high, and initiates the

9 explosion sequence. After a time

C8-10 fire 2 delay, blow-up goes low and clocks

a high out of the Q output of the
74107, J-K flip flop.

This high is nored with the high
going start signal so that either a
M13-12 new game or a tank explosion will
reset the tank. The output of the nor
gate is used, via L-8 (the out of

\/ 1N914

bounds detector) to reset the
flip-flops at L-9.

The outputs of these flip-flops are
used to reset the motion counters so
the tanks appear in the starting
position. When VRST occurs, the
74107 is cleared and Q goes high
again.

1. Clip & lift L8-13 (underside of
the board).

2. Clip & lift L8-1 (underside of the
board).

3. Piggyback a 7402 on I|.C. L8.
Leave pins 7 and 14 down and
solder to the corresponding legs on
L8.

3A. Solder 7402 Pin 1 to lifted pin
L8-1.

3B. Solder 7402 Pin 13 to lifted pin
L8-13.

4. Piggyback A 74107 |.C. on a
chip near L8. | used position M8.
Put down pins 7 and 14 only.
5. Add wire between 74107 pin 5
and 7402 pin 11.

6. Add wire between 74107 pin 9
and N7-3.

7. Add wire between 74107 pin 10
and L9-5.

8. Add 100 ohm resistor between
7402 pin 4 and 7450 pin 4.
9. Add wire between 74107 pin 12
and N7-5.

10. Add wire between 74107 pin 13
and L12-9.

11. Tie pins 1, 4, 8, and 11 of 74107
to a pull-up resistor (there can be
one common resistor for all 4
inputs).

12. Add wire between 7402 pins 2
and 12.

13. Add wire between 7402 pins 2
(or 12) and M13-3 (start).

MODIFICATION TWO

The second modification creates
a “Blackout Tank’’ game. During
this mode of operation the tanks are
invisible while at rest and are made
to appear when firing a shell of
exploding. When the tank is in
motion, it will flash on and off in
proportion to its speed. Switch S1
can be mounted on the game,
allowing players to have the option
of ‘Blackout Tank’’ for the entire
yame, during the last time period
only, or disabled completely. This
switch is a single pole, double
throw, center-off type.

When | do this modification, | add
the 7450 at position B10 and leave
pins 7, 10, and 14 down. If you want
to cheat a little, you can bend pin 2
of the 7450 so that it can be soldered
to pin 1 of B10 (Tank 1). The two
nor gates are left over from the first
modification (see Figure Two).

1. Cut off pin 2 of B10. (This is the
Tank 1 output to the video summing
network. We'll be gating the tank

signal and spitting it back out later in
the mod!).

2. Clip and lift D7-12.

3. Add wire between 7402, pin 8
and N7-5.

4. Add wire between 7402 pin 9
and C8-10.

5. Add wire between 7402 pin 5
and N7-3.

6. Add wire between 7402 pin 6
and C9-10.

7. Add 100 ohm resistor between
7402 pin 10 and 7450, pin 13.
8. Add 100 OHM resistor between
7402 pin 4 and 7450 pin 4.
9. Add diode between 7450 pin 13
and M13-12 (cathode end of diode
to M13-12).

10. Add diode between 7450 pin 4
and M13-10 (cathode end of diode
to M13-10).

11. Add wire between 7450 pin 8
and D7-12.

12. Add wire between 7450 pin 6
and pad of B10-2 (I told you we
would get around to it!).

13. Add wire between 7450 pins 1
and 5 and pull-up.

14. Add wire between 7450 pin 1 (or
5) and center terminal of switch
(common).

15. Add wire between one side of
the switch and C14-2 (this is the
‘game near end” signal).

16. Add wire between the other
side of the switch and ground.

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Troubleshooting cents

By Robin Minnear of the Game Doctors

To be a field serviceman these
days, one must be aware of the
basic relationships between, and
the physics of every technology
level imaginable. Although a com-
plete understanding of high-speed
micro-processor implementation,
sophisticated analog sound genera-
tion or mechanical-optical extrava-
ganzas is not a prerequsite for field
service, one must understand the
real-world purpose of each func-
tional block in order to determine
the correct operation of that block.

Because a route man is exposed
on a day-to-day basis to multi-level
technologies, confusion is often
created which causes one to
overlook obvious faults. In addition,
most routemen have had little or no
education in these areas and most
are not properly equipped.

Constant exposure to this type of
situation often creates negative
attitudes towards the equipment
which often hinders one’s judge-
ment.

Once a negative attitude takes
over, you can forget about finding a
solution to your problem.

| have observed many situations
where a_ serviceman is_ already
thinking about leaving a location
before he has even entered it. This
usually leads to a cameo appearance
at the machine where he quickly
diagnoses it as a problem he can't
repair. The result is loss of time and
money because of a faulty power
cord or possibly a loose or broken
connector.

By and large the majority of
equipment failures are not sophisti-
cated solid-state problems. It’s
important not to get hung up in the
technology and abandon your com-
mon sense. Work on developing an
emotionless, sound troubleshooting
procedure.

As an example, a Bally Night
Rider came into my shop recently.
The complaint was that one bumper
would not energize. The operator
had replaced first the solenoid driver
board and then the MPV Board. The
problem turned out to be a cold
solder joint on the solenoid.

Had this been an electro-mechan-
ical pin, I'm sure it would have been
repaired on location. The operator
assumed it was a solid-state prob-
lem.

Every mechanic/technician has
his own way to_ troubleshoot
equipment failures. What works for

one may not be the best way for
another. However, there are some
basic rules which may help to
develop a sound troubleshooting
procedure.

The following is an example of a
procedure that works for me.

Number One: DEFINE THE PROB-
LEM—What’s happening _ that
shouldn't happen? What's not hap-
pening that should?

Number Two: VISUALLY _ IN-
SPECT — Carry a good light and use
it. Look closely at all connectors,
cables that may hang in moving
parts, interlocks and fuses.

Number Three: KNOW THAT
YOUR POWER IS GOOD-—Inspect
wall sockets and extension cords.
Proper grounding is a must!

Number Four: CHECK YOUR IN-
TERNAL SUPPLIES—Learn § to
make voltage checks on all game
power supplies. This means pulling
the schematics and checking all the
power busses, A.C. — supplies
(lamps), regulated and nonregulated
supplies and the connectors associ-
ated with them.

Number Five: CHECK PLAYER
CONTROLS—Look closely at all
controls, pots, switches, coin
switches and anti-cheat switches.
Be sure they are wired correctly.

Number Six: SMELL, FEEL, LIS-
TEN—Learn to use your other
senses to troubleshoot. Familiarize
yourself with the smell of burned
capacitors and transformers. Feel

devices for unusual heat, listen
closely for arcing or buzzing.
Number Seven: IF POSSIBLE,

SUBSTITUTE—Look around for
ways to substitute modules. This is
probably the quickest way to
diagnose module failure. Make use
of it whenever you can.

No one can fix everything. Don’t
pressure yourself by expecting too
much. We're all limited by our
education, equipment, and experi-
ence.

Start each repair with a clear
head. Set negative thoughts and
prejudices aside because they tend
to distort logical deductive thinking.

Learn from your mistakes. Make
an effort to follow up on problems
you couldn't fix. Ask the person

who repaired it to explain what he
did. Any competent person will be
more than happy to explain repairs
he performed.

If you know a person who is
successful at repair, expose yourself
to him as much as possible. Look
closely at how he approaches the
problems as opposed to the techni-
cal solution.

And don’t overlook the obvious.

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TANDARD

74) aaa AN Ol I oe od 2

= 2910 W. Montrose Ave.
CHICAGO, IL 60618 (312) 384-3120

Imperial
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Introduces Premier
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November, 1977, PLAY METER

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Technicaltips
on Starship |

The following items will insure
trouble-free operation of your Atari
games.

|. The audio amplifier in use is the
TDA-1004. During normal operation
this device generates considerable
heat. It is therefore important that
the TDA-1004 has adequate heat
sinking. The correct heat sink is a
U-shaped piece of copper approxi-

Quality Products

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243 Dixon Ave., Amityville, N.Y. 11701 @ Telex: 143176 @ Phone (516) 842-4242

PLAY METER, November, 1977

mately one-inch tall. Atari P/N
009470-01. The heat sink is bonded
to the IC with a compound called
BIPAC TRA-Bond. Atari P/N 78-
13016. The incorrect heat sink could
result in damage to the PCB due to
excessive heat.

ll. To insure that the potentio-
meters are wired correctly and are
working correctly on the Starship |
controls, perform the _ following
procedure.

1. Use a VOM (volt ohm meter) and
set the dial to RX100. (OHMS
scale).

2. Zero the meter by touching the
probes together and adjusting the
“zero ohms” dial so the meter reads
zero ohms resistance.

3. Place black probe on pin #9 g
control panel harness connector.
Place red probe on pin #1 of
connector.

4. Simulate a dive by moving flight
control completely forward. When
mounted in the game, this means
pushing control wheel up. The VOM
reading should be approximately 2.7
K ohms.

5. Simulate a climb by moving
control all the back (down). VOM
should read approximately 2.1 K
ohms.

6. Place black probe on pin #7 and
red probe on pin #2. Turn controls
to the left (counter-clockwise).
VOM should read approximately 2.1
K ohms.

7. Turn to right (controls fully
clockwise). VOM should read ap-
proximately zero ohms.

Ill. On Starship I, to keep the linkage
arm (P/N A009525-01) from binding
and consequently from _ breaking,
perform the following check and
adjustment if necessary (see draw-
ing). 7

1. The two planes indicated must
be parallel to prevent binding.
2. If these two planes are not
parallel, loosen the two screws and
the bracket will move. Adjust it as
required and tighten the screws.
3. If possible, insure that the screws
are torqued to 20 inch pounds + %
inch pounds. This will insure that
they do not loosen and cause
misalignment problems.

— Fred McCord, field service, Atari,
Inc.

The Logic Signature

For everything animal, vegetable
or mineral there is a signature which
will identify that mass. Each of us
has a signature peculiar to our-
selves. A microprocessor is no
different, it too has a signature.
Those elements, which make a
signature peculiar to each micro-
processor are the signals to be
found on its pins.

To back up a second—a healthy
inverter has a signature:

Jt. ¢) a 2

| O

Its signature is as shown. Should we
wish to determine whether this
inverter is working properly we need
only to take our Kurz-Kasch logic
probe and examine the inverter’s
inputs and outputs. If they are as
shown, then the device is an
inverter, if not, then it is not
performing as an inverter and has
become something else, a pull up,
pull down or a short.

Should you wish to cash a check,
the bank will, if suspicious, compare
your signature on file with the one
on your check. If they match, then
the check is authentic. A micro-
processor can be_ validated or
determined ‘authentic’’ by this
same method. You have been given
the logic signature for several
microprocessor games.

By using the Kurz-Kasch 3 light
logic probe, one can determine if
the processor system is functioning
in a valid mode. If it is not, the
indications we get can determine
where it is not.

Let us now establish a sequence
of logic signature benchmarks.
1. Check all voltage levels at the
CPU pins.

2. Check clock inputs.

3. Check control outputs.
4. Check address lines.

5. Check data bus.

Let’s look at an 8080 (figure 1) as
found in a Gunfight or any of the
Midway processor games following
the above sequence:
1. Pin 2 (ground)

Pin 11 (-5)

Pin 20 ( +5)

Pin 28 (+ 12)

2. Pin 151 1 |

Pin 22 |
3. Pin 12 0 going to deadband

when reset or tilt is pushed

Pin 18 Write ly

Pin 19 Sync IIL

Pin 23 Read lt
4. Address Bus

Pins 1, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32,

33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 & 40
5. Data Bus

Pins 3 through 10.

If all above indications are as
noted on the logic signature card for
that game, then the processor is
working. Should you have game
problems, then a peripheral is not
functioning. What is a peripheral?
Those are the interfaces between
the processor and the outside
world, a joy stick, pot or single
switch along with its interface
electronics becomes a_ peripheral
(See Figure Two).

| have told you how to determine
if the processor is functioning.

—= —= ©E ©

oon OA fF & OW WR =

36| |

35]

34] ]
331]

31] |

30]

29] |

28] ] [+izV
27

26| |
25| |
24|_]
23{ | ly READ

ADDRESS [3uSs

MEMORY

CouTeot Bus

Suppose it isn’t? | will take a most
common failure in a processor game
and we’ll see what happens (Refer
to Figure Three).

We will assume a stuck low at
8080 Pin 3 (Note: Use an LP-520 or
an LP-610 in the single threshold
mode). All other data pins will show
pulse activity.

With the dual threshold mode on
the LP-610, you will not see a pulse
light on CPU data pins 3 through 10.
All pins except 3 are pulsing, but the
fall time is 40NS—outside the spec
for a valid logic gate signal.

The 8216 bus driver will show
pulsing as indicated.

A fault indication illustrated here
indicates either pin 3 of 8080, pin 3
of 8216 (B-3) is stuck low or a short
to ground of the PC trace between
the two.

Lets pause a minute and see what
makes up a microprocessor game.
Look at Figure Four.

The basic system is composed of
a CPU (central processing unit),
memory (ROMS & RAMS), and an
1/O (input/output to the world).

A CPU has a minimum drive
capability— usually 1 TTL load. For
this reason we must have interface
gates. Figure Three shows the
address and data bus interfaces for
the 8080.

There are only 3 basic input and
output bus lines associated with a
microprocessor system and they are
as follows:

Address Bus: This is a coded group
of 1s and Os which locate and
identify certain locations of data in

the memory or the interface units.
Data Bus: A bi-directional path on
which data can flow between the
CPU and memory or 1/0. This data
is what ultimately winds up on the
monitor.

Contro/ Bus: The control signals
memory read, memory write, 1/0
read, 1/0 write, interrupt acknow-
ledge.

Here is the basic microprocessor
operation: the CPU module issues
an activity command on the control
bus; the CPU issues a binary code
on the address bus to identify which
particular memory location or 1/0
device will be involved in the current
process activity; the CPU receives
or transmits data selected on the
data bus; CPU returns for next
cycle.

A fault on any one of the 3 bus
lines will give a particular monitor
presentation (stuck at 0).

Address Bus: Horizontal lines equal
alternating white & black. Continual
reset and or tilt will change data on
screen somewhat but predominately
doesn’t change.

Data Bus: D-D10 (Processor pins)
comes up horizontal equal but alway
goes blank on reset.

Control Bus: Write (pins 18) flashing
screen with vertical lines. ROM
Read: (pin 20 Roms) vertical lines.
RAM Read/write: (pin 17 Ram)
comes up vertical and usually blank
screen on reset. RAM Data: (pin 7
of Ram) comes up garbage and
goes to vertical lines on_ reset.

— Jim Sneed, Kurz Kasch Electron-
ics

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Cre. ew ee Per eee

Wildcat’s chemicals

Wildcat Chemical Co. Inc. is a
fairly new company in the vending
industry having had its start some 5
years ago. At that time a large
vending operator in Fort Worth
suggested that Wildcat produce a
silicone designed for the new
foosball market. Until that time,
Wildcat had been manufacturing
exclusively for the industrial market.

After testing numerous formulas,
Wildcat finally came up with the
formula that it felt produced the
desired results. The product was so
effective that Dynamo made ar-
rangements to put a can of Wildcat
Foosball Silicone in every table that
was shipped from the factory. The
story unfolds with a snowball effect
in that several foosball manufactur-
ers followed Dynamo’s lead of
placing Wildcat Foosball Silicone
into their tables. And Wildcat
Chemical Co. found itself in the
vending industry.

Joe Peters, president of Wildcat
Chemical Co., talks daily with
Operators and distributors across
the nation with an eye toward new
products for the coin industry.

Says Peters, ’’l’m not interested
in mass production of a multi-pur-
pose cleaning product. Any product
that Wildcat manufactures is for a
specific purpose relating to one or
more vending machines. | feel that
we are as responsible to the industry
as any machine manufacturer. |
believe that the manufacturers
recognize this and that is why so
many of them work so closely with
us.’

many of them work so closely with
us.”

Wildcat’s #125 Pinball Playfield
Cleaner, for instance, was develop-
ed to help the operator keep his pin
playfields clean. He realizes that a
clean machine is going to get more
play and make him more money.
Periodic maintenance with #125 will
keep the playfield in excellent
condition thus bringing a_ higher
resale value when you decide to sell
a machine, Peters added.

Bally is one pinball manufacturer
that has recently recommended
#125. “It is truly through Bally's
efforts that Wildcat has now
become an international company,”
acknowledged Peters. ‘’Within the
next few months we will have our
distributors in overseas markets
stocked and ready to roll.”’

Wildcat Chemical Company re-
cently moved into its new plant at
1349 East Seminary Drive, Fort
Worth, Texas. The new plant has
given them the expanded manu-
facturing facility to keep up with the
ever growing needs of our industry.
Peters has even added a special
room built next to his office, his own
private arcade.

At the AMOA (booth #42)
Wildcat will be introducing a new
line. Although they will still have
their complete aerosol line many of
their products will now be available
in super spray mist. The super spray
mist was designed to keep in line
with the need for environmental
protection.

C.A.

Robinson
hosts servic:
school

C.A. Robinson Distributing of L
Angeles hosted yet another servi
school recently, this one for instru
tion on Time 2000, Atari’s solid sta
pinball game.

Fred McCord of Atari was th
teacher of the two-day seminar
Other Atari representatives were Gi
Williams, Frank Ballouz, Don Os-
borne, Eddie Boasberg, Don Smith,
Phil Stewart, and Dave Tucker.
Representing the host distributor,
C.A. Robinson at the school were
Leah and AI Bettelman, Hank
Tronick, Ira Bettelman, and Sandy
Bettelman. The attendance for the
two days of the school was listed at
300.

Atari
magic show

Atari will be presenting a magic
show at the AMOA this year. They
will feature the preview of seven
new adventures into coin-op amuse-
ment. In addition, on Saturday,
October 29, you can meet Atari's
surprise master of magic at the Atari
booths in the West Room of the
Conrad Hilton (16-23 and 26-33).

The stars of the show will include
Airborne Avenger, Atari's most
exciting. pinball game yet; Destroy-
er, a one-player video sea action
game; Starship |, the cosmic battle
game that has already surpassed
many income records; Super Bug,
the new, challenging rally racing
game;: and many more new and
exciting products will be introduced.
There will be some of the other
current popular games on display as
well, such as Breakout, Sprint 2,
and Time 2000.

The magic show will continue at
the [AAPA in New Orleans, where
Atari will introduce for the first time
a completely new concept in
coin-operated amusement. This
spectacular premier attraction is
certain to ‘’mystify’’ the industry.

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By Joe Fucini

Question: What does your arcade
need more than anything else?
Answer: Traffic, traffic and_ still
more traffic!

Let’s face it, without a high
volume of walk-in traffic, an ar-
cade’s chances of making it are
about as good as a 4’2’”’ Pygmy’s
trying out for the Boston Celtics.

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Traffic and
the Super Mall

People feed coins to machines. The
more people, the more coins—and
the better an arcade’s business.

Nowadays, no place has more
traffic than the enclosed super-malls
do. Sure the rent’s astronomical,
but that’s where the people are—
and that’s just the kind of place an
arcade flourishes in.

A case in point is Red Baron
Amusements, Inc. The Milwaukee-
based company has 28 leased and
franchised arcades, all of which are
located in imposing, high-traffic
malls.

“We wouldn't think of putting an
arcade anywhere else,’’ says Angus
Young, operations manager of the
five year old company. ‘We've
chosen to go with malls because
doing so offers many advantages
and eliminates a lot of problems.”

Red Baron’s largest arcade is a
3000-square foot store in Dayton,
Ohio’s gigantic Dayton Mall. The
Dayton arcade houses between 50
and 60 machines at any one time,
and although its rent is a high $7 per
square foot, earnings more than
make up for it. Young estimates that
Red Baron’s Dayton arcade grossed
more than $100,000 last year.

Young, who came to work for the
company in 1974, supports Red
Baron’s ‘mall only’’ policy whole-
heartedly. “The most obvious bene-
fit is the traffic,’ he emphasized. ‘'If
a mall has good anchor stores, you
can bet people are going to come
out. Also, malls are always holding
special events and shows. These
bring out people who aren't neces-
sarily there only to shop. These
people inevitably wind up playing
our machines.”’

Aside from delivering sheer num-
bers of would-be game players, a
mall holds other delights for the
arcade operator. For one thing,
security is much less of a problem.
Malls are locked and heavily patrol-
led at night. Because of this, they
serve as a sort of ‘armed fortress,”
making it difficult for thieves and
vandals to enter an arcade after
operating hours.

If it’s difficult for law breakers to
enter a mall at night, it’s not much
easier for them to make their ‘’get
away’ during the day. Being
enclosed, malls don’t provide the
available escape routes criminals
find in back alleys and side streets.

Another security advantage is the
‘tree alert system’’ many large malls
employ today. In this system, a
description of a vandal, shoplifter or
robber is broadcast over CB radio or
walkie talkie to every merchant in
the mall, the mall’s security force,
and the detectives at the anchor
stores. Through their broadcasts,
mall merchants and security per-
sonnel keep tabs on the perpetra-
tor’s movements until he or she is
apprehended.

‘| would say that the mall acts as
a buffer between the arcade and
troublemakers,”” noted Young.
‘Someone who’s up for trouble
finds the large malls intimidating,

November, 1977, PLAY METER

and the security force is often able
to stop things before they happen.”

Despite the hefty rent, malls do
offer several purely economic bene-
fits to arcade operators. To begin
with, you don’t have to spend
money on promotions or compatible
businesses such as refreshments to
draw customers. Since most of the
stores who populate malls are part
of large retail chains, you can rest
assured that their advertising will
bring in all the customers you need.

An arcade can also get away with
keeping a few older games around,
even though they may have lost
some of their popularity, if it’s
located in a popular mall. ‘Our
arcades fill up a lot because of the
mall traffic,’ says Young. ‘’When
we’re full, someone’s bound to. play
the older machines, simply because
they're the only ones available. Of
course, you couldn't keep too many
older machines around or you'd lose
business.”’

Red Baron is so high on the
super-mall that it will only locate in
ones with a million square feet of
space or more. ’’We wouldn't go
into a small enclosed mall, because
that would defeat the purpose of
being in a mall in the first place,”’
explains Young.

The company always tries to be

an original tenant of a_ mall,
contacting the developer before
construction is completed. The
feeling is that ‘’getting in on the
ground floor’ allows Red Baron to
modify its stores to its specific

needs. |
One thing the company always

looks for before deciding on locating
in a mall are the anchor stores. If a
large national department store
chain decides to set up shop in a
new mall, Young and Red Baron
president Dan Winter know it’s go-
ing to be a good site.

“We knew this was going to be a
high traffic mall,’ said Young,
speaking at the company’s Dayton
arcade. ‘‘Sears, J.C. Penney, and
Federated decided to put stores
here. They do extensive market
research, so they know where the
consumers are going to. be.”

Red Baron’s arcade in the Dayton
Mall has several other good things
going for it. Across the corridor are
two movie theaters and a popular
pizzeria. Two more theaters are
located about 40 yards away. As
you probably guessed, the restau-
rant and movies draw an army of
teenagers. How’s that for an arcade
operator’s dream come true?

“When a movie that’s popular
with high school and college kids is

playing, the line goes right past our
entrance, and people have someone
hold their place and play our
machines while they wait to get into
the movies,’’ said Young.

Alas, all is not necessarily fun and
games (and profits) in a super-mall.
Most super-malls require a 10-15
year lease, and by now you know
their rents are expensive. So if your
arcade is located in a mall that fails,
and some do, you’re stuck with high
rent and not as much traffic as you
expected.

All in all, though, malls can be a
gold mine for the arcade operator.
The traffic, the exposure, the
reduced vandalism, etc., make them
too good to overlook, even with the
tremendous overhead.

So if you’re thinking of opening a
new arcade, think mall. If malls are
too rich for your blood—well, still
think mall. Evaluate a prospective
arcade site in terms of how it
compares to a mall. Does it have
consumer-drawing shops nearby?

_ Are large national chains locating in.

the area? Is the site too accessible or
are escape routes too available for
robbers, thieves and the _ like?

In the final analysis, a mall is good
for your business only if it offers
these advantages—and the same
goes for any other location too.

AMICO MARKETING INTERNATIONAL CORP.

Empire State Building, 350 5th Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10001 Tel: (212) 239-4145 Cable: AMICOREX-New York Telex: 2224208 or 422208

EXPORTERS OF:

COIN OPERATED MACHINES
ROWE/AMI
SEEBURG
ROCK-OLA

BALLY
GOTTLIEB
WILLIAMS

ALLIED LEISURE
CHICAGO COIN
MEADOWS
MIDWAY
ATARI
SEGA

“ALL INQUIRIES WELCOME”

PLAY METER, November, 1977

EXPORTERS OF:

AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES

Chance Mfg. Co. USA

F. Hrubetz Co. USA
Taylor Engineering USA
Mackenzie Labs. USA
Miracle Equipment USA
Int'l Exhibits USA

S.D.C. ITALY
Fili. Pinfari ITALY
Sansei Yusoki JAPAN

e@
Affiliated with:
international Association
of Amusement Parks

Pete Petropoulos
Does It Again

Meet the Newest
PROFIT-MAKER
In Coin-Operated
Equipment

A proven and practical unit —a
coin-operated breath-tester that lets
consumers enjoy a good time and still

get home safely. Made by the same

people who made the tester used by

law enforcement agencies... and does the
same thing by checking blood alcohol count.

Ideal for placement in:
e Bars and Cocktail Lounges
e Hotels and Motels

e All Military Clubs
e Social Clubs
e Discos

Designed for 25¢ vend e No gases,
chemicals or moving parts
e All solid state e Low voltage

VISIT WITH PETE PETROPOULOS
AT A.C.S. BOOTHS
FOR THESE TRADE SHOWS

INTL. RESTAURANT
N.A.M.A. A.M.O.A. IAAPA HOTEL & MOTEL

Booth 245 Booths 85-86 Booth 1339 h
Chicago, Ill. Chicago, Ill. New Orleans Ava da

ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURE SYSTEMS INC.

TIM TIREY INTERNATIONAL SALES PETE PETROPOULOS
Vice President MARKETING CONSULTANTS Penthouse Two

501 Water St., Suite A 1354 Vernon North Dr. 1340 S. Ocean Blvd.

Port Huron, Mi. 48060 Atlanta, Ga. 30338 Pompano Beach, FI. 33062

(313) 987-7400 (404) 393-3819 (305) 942-8054

Classified

HELP WANTED: One of the nations largest suppliers
of billiard accessories is interested in a dynamic
individual to cover south east territory of Florida,
Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee,
Mississippi. Salary, commission, travel expenses.
Send resume to: IMPERIAL BILLIARD INDUSTRIES,
§50 Industrial Rd., Carlstadt, N.J. 07072. ATT: JOHN
RAFER.

FOR SALE: Ticker Tapes, Blue Chips, & Stock
Markets. Also Sweet Showness, Bally Jumbos, and
Super Jumbos, Big Threes, Blue Spots, & Mountain
Climbers, and OK games. Antique slots for California
area. Call WASSICK NOVELTY, Morgantown, W.V.A.
Tel. 304/292-3791.

MECHANIC: Major California arcade operator has
opening for senior games mechanic—pins arcade,
video games, top salary and benefits. Opportunity for
advancement into technical management. Send
resume and salary history to: SEGA ENTERPRISES,
INC. 2550 Santa Fe Ave., Redondo Beach, Calif. 90278.
AG & W Company.

WANTED FOR CASH: Used factory or school courses
books, manuals, magazines on learning how to repair
and service pinballs, jukeboxes, payouts, and other

machines. CHARLES K. MULHALL, 1-3-5 Shore Ra., -

Ardglass, Co. Down, North Ireland.

WANTED TO BUY: Midway Winner. Must have good

module & amplifier. UNITED DISTRIBUTORS 2129
Cedar Hill Rd., Jefferson City, MO 65101. Tel.
314/636-4096.

FOR SALE: Pin Tables. Write to: SERWY P.0. Box 82,

B 5000 Namur. [Belgium].

SCHONI FI GAMES & MUSIC. TWO AND THREE

week Cotes nono, Flippers and Bingos. By
schematics! CAt’S’COIN COLLEGE, P.0. Box 810,
Nicoma Park, Okla. 73066. Tel: 405/769-5343.

ELECTRONIC AMUSEMENT REPORT-A monthly
newsletter full of current service tips, practical
cures, and explanations for electronic game prob-
lems. Send $2.50 for sample or $26.00 for one year
subscription. E.A.R., 265 Willard St., Quincy, MA.
02169. Tel: 617/773-1804.

ATTENTION METROPOLITAN & UPSTATE NEW
Yorkers: We have a large selection of new & used
add-a-balls and arcade equipment. Also jukes, pool
tables, shuffles, cigarette & candy. We deliver &
accept trades. SPECIAL! Atari F-1’s, Triple Hunts,
and Drag Races [call for special prices]. COIN
MACHINE DISTRIBUTORS, INC. 213 N. Division St.,
Peekskill, NY 10566. Tel: 914/737-5050.

FREE UP-TO-DATE CATALOG and samples showing
vending machine labels, manufactured to meet your
local requirements. SETON NAME PLATE CORP.,
2020 Boulevard, New Haven, CT 06050.

BASKETBALL DOME: One size fits Crown, Sega and

Midway basketball games. [Slight fudging required
for Midway.) Plexiglass domes are U.S. made and

priced at $175.00 F.0.B. Newton, Mass. Quantity -

discounts available. WIZARD’S HELPER, 48 Chesley
Rd., Newton, Mass. 02159.

FOR SALE: Royal Flush $760, Surf Champ $775, Jacks

Open $685, Target Alpha $695, Jack In The Box $425,
Big Hit $700, Super Soccer $475, Fast Draw $750, Big
Indian $535, Spirit Of 76 $715, Freedom $775, Sky
Kings $325, Capt. Fantastic $850, Hang Glider $795, Big
Deal [Write], Grand Prix $775, Darling $350, Red Baron
$475, Hollywood $495, Speed King $475, Big League
Baseball $495, Fairy $425, Tornado Baseball $895,
Racer $775, Top Gun $775, Boot Hill $1175, Sea Wolf
$1125, Steeplechase $625, Outlaw [new] $625, Outlaw
$495, Lemans $1225, Night Driver $1225, Stunt Cycle
$695, Breakout $1050, Flyball $395, Tank 2 $725, Death
Race $1095, Bazookas $925, Bi Plane $625, Bi Plane 4
$1150, Lazer Command [new] $825, Lazer Command
$725, Meadows 4 in 1 $725, Meadows 4 in 1 [with
stand] $750, Dynamo Model E [new] $475, Dynamo
$295, Garlando [cheatproof with glass] $495, Garlando
$175, Fire Chief $350, Super Shifter [as is] $200, Flying
Tiger [as is] $175, Swagrab $795, Skill Crane $795,
Rotor [Imported Pusher] $575, Skill Digger $395, Mini
Auto Bumper Carousel $650. NEW ORLEANS NOVEL-
TY CO., 1055 Dryades St., New Orleans, La. 70113.
Tel: 504/529-7321.

Classified ad rate: 30 cents

per word, counting. a//

words that appear in ad.

Minimum ad
$5.00. CASH or
should

accepted
CHECK

accompany orders.

Mail your message to:

PLAY METER

P.O. Box 24170
New Orleans, Louisiana 70184

PINBALL TOURNAMENT
PROCEDURES MANUAL

¢ Tournament Rules

¢ Literature Samples

¢ Registration Samples

¢ Promotional Formats

OVER 50 PAGES OF DATA TO HELP

YOU RUN YOUR OWN PINBALL
TOURNAMENT.

OUR SPECIAL OFFER: SEND $25.00
to: MICE DAY PRODUCTIONS,
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side U.S.- add $2.50)

Coin Sorter Speeds Counting

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Write for complete list of
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Atlas Music Co.
2122 N. Western Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 312/276-5005

Indianapolis, she would guarantee ten students.
That school ended just last week, and we've started
one in North Carolina which will be over soon. We
try to get twenty students for each school because
that way we can keep the tuition low. Right now,
the tuition is $150.

PLAY METER: The school runs for ten days
doesn’t it?

GARRETT: That’s right. Don Miller, who used to

THE MAGIC TROLLEY

A.M.O.A.
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DESTINATION:
CHICAGO, ILL

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Reservations suggested .. you'll not

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For rates and schedules please con-

tact the station: 3285 Hilton - Fern-
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operator to ring (313) 542-4333.

CONDUCTOR: ff} @BILE
Division of AM muse ihe
Industries iy CERI

OCTOBER SPECIALS

(As long as supply lasts)

OreECIAL #1:
1-Capt. Fantastic $825.
1-Bow & Arrow

735.

LOW AS $275 EACH. SEE SPECIAL #2.

We have many machines to choose from like 4 Million
, etc. Criterium and Top Speed both 4 players by
RECEL excellent money-makers! Special $675 each.

Serburg V-200 Phonos. $350. each.

50 8V Flavored Slush Vendor—Cost new $3195—36 units available at
$150 each.

B.C..

AMUSEMENT SERVICE COMPANY, INC.
P.O. Box 19755 Station N

1950 Howell Mill Rd.,

Coin operated ice machines available $850 each.
To place orders, call us COLLECT, and ask for Mr.

Atlanta, Georgia 30325

(404) 351-0414

PACKAGE PRICE = $3225.00
SAVINGS —240.00 PLUS

CLEAN AND COMPLETE. WE
HAVE HUNDREDS AVAILABLE IN LOTS OF 5 AS

BINKS

have a school with Jack Moran in Denver, Colorado,
is the instructor. He was giving two-week schools,
but he was teaching five days at a time—with
Saturdays and Sundays off, and then the next week
he'd teach five more days for his ten days. So when
I happened to meet him at a state association
meeting in South Carolina, I asked him if he would
be interested in holding a ten-day school for the
AMOA but letting it run right through the
weekend, and take in Saturday and Sunday. That
way it would decrease the time that the operator
would have to do without his man. It would also
decrease the hotel expenses and all that. Well, Don
Miller said he would try it, and I’m glad to report
that it’s been working just fine.

PLAY METER: Does the AMOA plan to continue
these schools in the future?

GARRETT: Yes, we will continue with this just as
long as it is successful and we are getting our
twenty students, which is the break-even point for
the AMOA. Hopefully, at a later date, we will
continue with this as the students progress and
well be able to go to solid state and teach
something there. I will say this, the distributors are
really getting on the ball with this idea. More and
more of them are holding schools. And manufactur-
ers like Bally and Atari and Midway and Kurz
Kasch have really been helping in this area too. I
think everyone sees the need for qualified help in
this area. We have a labor shortage of good
servicemen at this time, and it’s something we've

]

Regular Low Prices $3465. | follows: Jackpot, Wiggler, CIECLEORICS DECaUSS I a Year OF ao every 8

Special #1 3225. ] Dogies, Cosmos, Camelot, See | be solid state. I understand, for instance, that the
SAVINGS $240 ] Saw, Hoo. | pin game Williams will be showing at the AMOA

show will be solid state, as will be the game Gottlieb
will show. In jukeboxes, AMI is solid state now, and
the German jukebox NSM is solid state; so it

ae ‘ ORDER PINGAMES For X‘Mas.| 2PPears that everything is moving in that direction,
1-Jackpot HOME SALES NOW. Don’t. | and it will require some good men to handle the
1-See Saw wait ‘til the last service end of this.
oar | moment. PLAY METER: Speaking of the AMOA show, how
1-Dogies ] all for $1375.00

has the show been shaping up for this year?
GARRETT: Fred Granger (AMOA executive vice
president) has been busier than ever before
handling the requests for space. We've had to take
on additional space for this year’s show. We've
taken in everything we had last year, and we've
added even more. Last year’s show was the largest
yet, but this year’s has grown even bigger than that
one. Last year we had over 5,200 people registered,
and this year, I’m expecting a much larger turnout
than that.

PLAY METER: What about the timing of the
show? Are there any plans to move it to another
time slot or is the AMOA satisfied with where it is?

November, 1977, PLAY METER

GARRETT: The feeling is we've got to get the best
dates possible. It has taken us about five or six
years to work ourselves into the position that we
are in, and we feel like maybe the third week in
October or the fourth week in October would be the
best time. Last year’s show was in November, and I
felt that that was a little bit too late. But this space
is booked so far in advance, as much as four and five
years ahead of time, and we just had to work out
our way in this particular time.

PLAY METER: How has the membership done
over the past year. Is it growing still or is it holding
at about the same?

GARRETT: The membership is growing, it’s
increasing every year. We now represent between
15 and 18 percent of all the operators in the United
States, and our total membership this year
represents about a ten percent increase over last
year’s membership figure.

PLAY METER: What is the fee for joining the
AMOA?

GARRETT: The fee is honorary. When I say
honorary, that means you are on your honor as to
what dues you will pay. The fee is by levels
according to the number of machines each operator
owns. For under fifty machines, the fee is $50; from
fifty to 100 machines, $150; from 300 to 500
machines, $250; from 500 to 750 machines, $300;
from 750 to 999 machines, $400; and anything over
1,000 machines is $500 per operator. But I'll tell you
what is the really wonderful thing about our
organization. Fred Granger tells me that he
receives so many checks from different companies
that voluntarily raise their dues. And this is a fact.
The people voluntarily raise their dues to the
appropriate figure when they move into a new
machine classification. And this is the rule rather
than the exception, this is just something that
happens.

PLAY METER: You've visited many of the state
associations over the past year as president of the
AMOA, how is membership running for them?
GARRETT: Real good. I think adversity brings
about understanding and unity in people. This is
true even with a family. And I think with the
copyright legislation that is coming up, some of the
people that probably didn’t even realize what was
going on will, I think, wake up and realize what has
happened. And when they do that, they will join the
AMOA and their state associations. And they are
going to help in every way possible. I firmly believe
this. I don’t think people want a free ride, though
some of them have been getting one. I just think
they are going to join the AMOA eventually and
make this a much stronger organization than it
already is. This fact has been proved out by the fact
that two more state associations have been formed
within the past year, one in Tennessee and one in
Georgia. And recently I talked to gentlemen from
Kentucky and West Virginia, and they are very
much interested in forming state associations too. I
would also like to add that from my traveling
around to these various state associations, I have
become impressed with the caliber of people in this
business. The presidents of the two new state
associations are good examples of what I mean.

PLAY METER, November, 1977

Variety.
We got it.

Billiards is the name of the game, and variety is what we have.
One-piece, two-piece and multi-piece cue sticks. Domestic
and imported balls. Billiard cloth, cue and table repair items
and accessories. Novelties and decorator items. And the best
freight connections for immediate delivery.

\. 7 INTERNATIONAL BILLIARDS, INC.

2311 Washington, P.O. Box 7693, Houston, Texas 77007
713/869-3237 1-800-392-2209 Texas 1-800-231-1282 Out of State

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20 years and has models to fit your needs
perfectly. For information, call or write:

— tandard Change-Makers, Inc.

422 E. New York Street
Indianapolis, Ind. 46202 « Tel. (317) 639-3423

District Sales & Service Offices:
Atlanta « Boston e Chicago e Denver « Detroit
e Houston e Los Angeles « New York e
Philadelphia e Pittsburgh e
Pompano Beach e San
Francisco « Seattle e

St. Louis « Montreal, Can.

CHANGE
Series 6502B : .
$1 Bill & Coin Changer

coin =S
operated
Systems

e Coin Meters

e Coin Chutes

e Locks

e Timers

e Rotary Switches
e Custom Designs

[51 GREENWALD INDUSTRIES

1340 METROPOLITAN AVE., BROOKLYN, N.Y. 11237 * TEL. 212 456-6900

TELEX 1-2281, CABLE ADDRESS — GREENCOINS, NEW YORK
A DIVISION OF WALTER KIDDE & COMPANY INC.

the
pool table with
the Velvet Touch

innovators of
the industry

e Zenith, Crest, Adjust-a-price
¢ Pool Tables

¢ Sportacard

¢ Sportaball

¢ TV Cocktail Table

° Bimbo

¢ United-Sardi Soccer Tables

United Billiards Inc.

51 Progress St., Union, N.J. 07083
(201) 686-7030

John Estridge, who is the president of the
Tennessee association, is a very fine man and I
found him a pleasure to work with. And Frank
Cannon, Jr., who was elected the president of the
Georgia association is one of the finest men I have
ever known. These two men represent the fine
caliber of men in this industry. To give you an
example of what I mean, when I was at the Geor-
gia organizational meeting, one of the principals
involved in the formation of that state association
came to the meeting late. He said the reason was
that he had been to church. He said he was sorry
he was late, but he didn’t miss church for any-
thing. That’s what I mean about the caliber of men
we have in this industry.

PLAY METER: Have you noticed a change in the
public image of the industry? |
GARRETT: Imagewise, now, I think, our busines
is just as well respected as almost any other
business you can think of. My state association, for
instance, recently made contributions to two homes
for orphaned and abandoned boys. We donated
some equipment to them, and it’s things like that
that we should all be doing. You know, we all talk
a lot about our image, but sometimes we think too
much about taking. We’ve got to give some too,
and I felt this was an excellent example of doing
just that. I’ll give you another example of why I
think our image is changing for the better. Some
of us operators in North Carolina were approached
by a Baptist church about putting some equipment
in an activities building the church had. We put in
a pool table, a video tennis game, a foosball table,
a shuffle alley, a pin game, and a jukebox. And
they were really elated over that. There was a
time not too long ago when a church wouldn’t
have let you put those kinds of things in a church
building.

PLAY METER: Can you tell us something about
the Notre Dame seminar and how it is progressing
in your eyes?

GARRETT: I think it’s really remarkable the way
the professors at that seminar have taken hold of
our business and have learned as much about it in
the few years they’ve been holding these seminars.
Some of the instructors have, in fact, even gotten
out in the trucks and ridden the routes along with
the routemen and have found out some things
about the business which are very helpful, things
like the time it takes to service a location. And
they’ve been able to give us a breakdown of what
it would cost to stop at each location. They have
also gotten into another phase of the business
where you go into a location where the man
doesn’t have any equipment and you sell him on
the idea of putting some equipment in. If the loca-
tion owner says he doesn’t have enough room, you
can just by showing him if he’d move a few tables
around he does have the room. This will be a por-
tion of an upcoming seminar by Dr. John Malone
who will be speaking at the AMOA show on
“Salesmanship: The Road to a new Business.”

U.S. SERVICE
CENTER FOR
BOARD

> (ea /.\) [e] =
OR REPAIR

EARN MORE

SPACE GAMBLE

4° PLAYERS

SPACE
GAMBLER

OFFERS YOU:

e Latest solidstate technology
Four-way electronic sound system
Pulsating time tunnel with sound
built into scoreglass |
All self-test systems for playfield —

and boards can be read from

“X\ scoreglass
» @ Boards _ interchangeable

for future models
e@ Extended board war-
ranty
@ Pricing and score
adjustments by
simple turn dials
e Polyurethane
coated playfield
e Convertible to
add-a-ball

Exclusive Importer for United States and Canada
UNIVERSE AFFILIATED INTERNATIONAL, INC.
609 No. Union Ave., Hillside, N.J. 07205 Phone: (201) 686-5163 Cable: Uniteamuse

4
«
~

-roaco Gra

Grand Salon. carves a new niche for the

phonograph in the world of elegant

PATO mxe) Oaleiarorslccremellavinrcmcvarelmcoalesveeeliatanternl@

It is a triumph of the cabinetry designed to live

in opulent harmony with any decor, yet keeps its

_ identity as a gracetul expression of the

furniture-maker’s art. The permanently raised

display panel features an illuminated

reproduction of Monet's “Fields in Spring”,

and provides an ideal speaker location for

maximum stereo effect. Grand Salon, a subtle,

tasteful presence wherever it goes.
eS a ————

—

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pan
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Accent
ON
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| @ir-raremey- le pmmlaleelserelrelca

; eclelecearlm cee OlG mel Cities
; ti It blends the look of fine |
* F hardwood finishes with the |
mar and burn-proof ruggedness
Pg of simulated Fruitwood. The "4

technical excellence of its: 160 oe Soe
Selection changer-and a
4-speaker stereo sound systems i
is pure’ Rock-Ola; . , e !

Rock-Ola Grand Salon opens the doors to.a new*kind ita.
of location — where the accent is on elegance. z

| G)
: ey
| Pacesetter for an Industry

z «
3 3 ;

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Full text of "Play Meter - Volume 3, Number 21 November 1977 (600DPI)"

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